# First hunt of fall



## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Just got home form our first hunt of the fall season. we motored up the Big Susitna about 15 miles and had our own little private island, wonderful trip with the family.........but no moose.



Anyone want to see pictures?


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## BSea (Aug 31, 2011)

I'd really like to see pictures!


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## hewunch (Aug 31, 2011)

oh, me, me, pick me!!!! Except, how do you take pictures of moose that aren't there? :biggrin:

By the way, this past March I had, Moose stew, Reindeer dogs and fresh crab all cooked by a Cajun turn Alaskan. And they were GOOOOOD! I am a member of PETA... People eating tasty animals.


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## lorbay (Aug 31, 2011)

Rick P said:


> Just got home form our first hunt of the fall season. we motored up the Big Susitna about 15 miles and had our own little private island, wonderful trip with the family.........but no moose.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone want to see pictures?



Are you bloody kidding me FALL we haven't had summer yet.

Lin.


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## Rounder (Aug 31, 2011)

lorbay said:


> Rick P said:
> 
> 
> > Just got home form our first hunt of the fall season. we motored up the Big Susitna about 15 miles and had our own little private island, wonderful trip with the family.........but no moose.
> ...



Our summer looks like fall, it is so dry. Leaves already falling from the trees. And I'm in central Texas.


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## BlackPearl (Aug 31, 2011)

Rounder said:


> Our summer looks like fall, it is so dry. Leaves already falling from the trees. And I'm in central Texas.



It may look like fall but at 115* it does not feel like fall.  The weather report said the other day that it was going to be ONLY 97 by the end of the week and I though Wow a cool front, great!


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## Florida Marine (Aug 31, 2011)

My first hunting this fall starts Sat...

Dove season!  My 9 year old is going to sling his .410...hit a dove with a .410 and he gets a trophy.

There is a an early doe season in a few counties starting Sat also...but warm weather deer hunting just seems wrong.


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## BKelley (Aug 31, 2011)

Rick,
It is in the mid to high ninetys here in Georgia and you are talking first fall hunt??  It sure would be a big help if you could bottle up some of that fresh cool Alaskan breeze and ship it us.   We need some relief, can you help?

Ben


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## PenMan1 (Aug 31, 2011)

Florida Marine said:


> My first hunting this fall starts Sat...
> 
> Dove season!  My 9 year old is going to sling his .410...hit a dove with a .410 and he gets a trophy.
> 
> There is a an early doe season in a few counties starting Sat also...but warm weather deer hunting just seems wrong.



If he can knock down a dove with a 410, he doesn't deserve a trophy! He deserves a scholarship!

It's been so hot and dry here lately the doves may just fall to the field from heat and exhaustion! I'm glad I bought that set of mesh camo awhile back. It'll be near 100 before noon Saturday.


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

LOL OK then, hope I dont have to re size them all but I'll post a few.

Ben
I've been trying to send some of our weather your way. Our freinds from Nuqisut (About as far north as ya can get without swimin) spent the summer with family down your way. Eskimos dont do well in temps over 65!

Florida marine
Good for you! My 4 year old tries hard to make a harvest with his long bow every time we hunt small game, he is getting to the point that this might be his year! The 410 is a great birding caliber, I took grouse, doves, woodcock and more rabbits with mine than I can count!

Pen man1
Where am I going for my masters work? What do I get for harvesting a duck with a recurve bow?


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

We drove north of Willow Alaska to a out of the way launch then headed up stream on the big Susitna. The big su is heavily braided and has several large islands in it, we decieded to make a 200-300 acre one with a great camping spot home for the week.


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Gunther did a great job helping unload the freighter canoe. Right away we noticed signs that we had neighbors but they never came into camp for a visit.


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## Richard Gibson (Aug 31, 2011)

BKelley said:


> Rick,
> It is in the mid to high ninetys here in Georgia and you are talking first fall hunt??  It sure would be a big help if you could bottle up some of that fresh cool Alaskan breeze and ship it us.   We need some relief, can you help?
> 
> Ben



Ben, these Alaskan guys are eating "Moose stew, Reindeer dogs and fresh crab all cooked by a Cajun turn Alaskan "... I don't think I would ask them to bottle up a "breeze" and send you. That might be an environmental hazard...:doctor:


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

The temps at night dropped to the lower 40's, time to start the wood stove.


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Speaking of food I feed us well! Home made bacon and eggs for breakfast and who wants to do an evening hunt on a empty stomach?


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Here's an Alaskan hat rack in the cook shelter.......And the wife taking a break.


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## Haynie (Aug 31, 2011)

Da*nit!!  I'm sitting here working on taxes in a 90 degree shop (Cooler seized up two days ago and paper work takes precedence).  I'm starving too.  I open up this site to check out the pen porn as a break and here you are talking about cold weather, and you include food pictures.


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Tracy and Gunther spent there time fishing and watching over camp while I hunter in the eveniings.


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Haynie said:


> Da*nit!! I'm sitting here working on taxes in a 90 degree shop (Cooler seized up two days ago and paper work takes precedence). I'm starving too. I open up this site to check out the pen porn as a break and here you are talking about cold weather, and you include food pictures.


 
Well I wouldn't want you to be misled about how rough it is hunting in back country.........imagine what I can do with a real stove and running water! (Oooooo that was kinda mean!)


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Three guesses what the white thing at the top of the log jam is........hint trips on our rivers dont always go as planned!


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Our trip went without a hitch, we even got to see Denali on our way home. (highest peak in north America, Willow is about 5 hours drive from Denali national park the peak is only visable 75 days a year due to cloud cover)


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

We got home just in time to enjoy a rare August northern lights display! The down side of the "midnight sun" is not seeing stars for 5 months. I do think it adds to your apreciation of the fall night skies!


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## Haynie (Aug 31, 2011)

Rick P said:


> Haynie said:
> 
> 
> > Da*nit!! I'm sitting here working on taxes in a 90 degree shop (Cooler seized up two days ago and paper work takes precedence). I'm starving too. I open up this site to check out the pen porn as a break and here you are talking about cold weather, and you include food pictures.
> ...



Jerk:biggrin:


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## Haynie (Aug 31, 2011)

Rick P said:


> Three guesses what the white thing at the top of the log jam is........hint trips on our rivers dont always go as planned!



Would that be the butt end of a boat


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

We have a winner! It had been there a long time but thats a boat some 10+ feet out of the river at the top of a log jam! The island we camped on is clearly underwater during the spring floods. Our firewood all came from wash outs. I even found log jams in the tall trees you can see in the background of the camp pic.


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## Rick P (Aug 31, 2011)

Hope you guys like these, there are more but this set gives one a fair over veiw of the hunt.


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## PenMan1 (Aug 31, 2011)

Rick:
I have shot with the current Olympic Gold Medalist in Sporting Clays. He gets his shells free and somebody pays him to use their gun. He has a heck of a time shooting doves with a .410.

You teach that kid to consistently shoot dove with a .410 SOMEBODY WILL GUVE HIM A SCHOLARSHIP! You might have to move a few thousand miles South and East, but if a kid is a good competitive shooter or can run 40 yards with a football in 4 seconds, the colleges here will beat a path to your door

Good luck, Saturday! I'll be using a 20 gauge, simply because it is REALLY embarrassing to miss a dove with a 12 gauge ---all three times


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

Pen man:

Gunther is BIG for his age, were talking the size of an average 7 year old, he is 4. I'm pulling for hokey but a sports scholarship is not out of the question.

12ga is too much gun for non waterfowl birds! 20ga is nice but have ya ever shot a 28ga? The unsung hero of bird guns IMHO.


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## Rick_G (Sep 1, 2011)

Thanks for the photo shoot.  Looks like a good weekend even without the moose.  From a guy that's been stuck in the flatlands of southern Ontario most of my life being in country likes that definitely makes me jealous.


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

lol The area we camped is considered the flatlands of south central Alaska. Would you like to see some mountain pics?


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

Sun rise over our Mountian, pioneer peak and my midwinter rabbit hunting lynx trapping spot.


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## Rob73 (Sep 1, 2011)

I've never gone hunting before but back in the day, in high school I had a friend that did.  I will never forget him calling me up and telling me to stop by that him and his father had just gone hunting and bagged a couple bucks.

I drove on over to his house to find a buck on the ground and his father doing some cuts on it.  He then took a golf ball and shoved it into the hide and tied it off,  then tied the other end to his truck.   He had the antlers tied off to a nearby tree.  He got in the truck and slowly pulled away.  There were some quite horror movie esq sounds produce and then the entire hide just slide right off and hit the ground. Leave the carcass behind.  I'll never forget that site or the sound.    

Couple weeks later had some nice venison jerky to take home though


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## Kenessl (Sep 1, 2011)

Heading up to Kansas tomorrow to go dove hunting with a couple of buddies. Deer season doesn't begin in Oklahoma for another 4 weeks.


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## Rob73 (Sep 1, 2011)

Wow those pics are gorgeous!  Must be nice living in such a peaceful place.   One of these days I'll have to take an Alaskan cruise or fishing trip.   I could easily see myself sitting in a chair with a 12 pack watching the northern lights.

I had a friend that moved to Juneau to work as a traffic controller.  He used to live in my area and always told me it got colder here than there.  He loved it though.  Built himself a boat and would put out lobster traps.    Mountain scenery in his back yard.  Made me extremely jealous     Though he did have a couple bear stories that were not quite pleasant.


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

Rob my 4 year old "helped" skin a Dall sheep last year. He did great till I got to the face then he hid his eyes and said "owe owe" every time he peaked through his fingers! (the sheep was bound for a taxidermist)


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

Juneau is in the pan handle and it's weather is very similar to interior Washington state. I live considerably north of that, keep in mind that if you laid Alaska over the lower 48 it would cover everything west of the mississippi!

It's a 19 hours drive from my home to where I caribou hunt on the north slope and the Iditarod is 1492 miles long crossing less than a third of the state from willow to nome.


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

BTW "Snow blind" is a better fit than beer for watching the lights. Our best displays are around midwinter and beer freezes! Snowblind is Vodka cut with mead.......it never freezes!


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## Rob73 (Sep 1, 2011)

Rick P said:


> BTW "Snow blind" is a better fit than beer for watching the lights. Our best displays are around midwinter and beer freezes! Snowblind is Vodka cut with mead.......it never freezes!



Fire up a smoker and sounds like a party


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## bitshird (Sep 1, 2011)

Rick P said:


> Pen man:
> 
> Gunther is BIG for his age, were talking the size of an average 7 year old, he is 4. I'm pulling for hokey but a sports scholarship is not out of the question.
> 
> 12ga is too much gun for non waterfowl birds! 20ga is nice but have ya ever shot a 28ga? The unsung hero of bird guns IMHO.



Rick, your only the second person I've heard of that even knew that a 28 GA. existed, My dad had one when I was a kid, it was considered a lady's shotgun I used it until he traded it off I was about 7 or 8 then I got a nice 40/22 over under . I wish I still had either of them, but all I have a a Le Fever 12 GA. beautiful shotgun, but I can't find low base shells for it any more and it's of course a Damascus Twist barrel. but I used to knock the tar out of Doves and Quail, not to mention the occasional Grouse and Pheasant, I miss hunting.


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

I like the 28 because it is a light gun, most of our bird hunting is hiking up and down the side of the mountain and any weight reduction without loss of efficiency is more than welcome! I have been accused of under gunning game and under rodding fish but I have no problem filling my freezer! Fact is I think most folks pay far less attention to shot placement and just go BIG! This is especially true of bear hunting! There is no need for more than 270 on black bears and most other game. 300 win mag is my all around choice because it also covers our Bigger big game like moose........we eat a lot of moose.


Gunther and I just finished up a walk around the property and gathered a few wild edibles for dinner.


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## Rick P (Sep 1, 2011)

You might want to have that Lefever apraised before you do anything with it! Demacus barrels are OLD and a ithica made "Lefever nitro" will fetch around $1,500 in fare condition!


Get out and hunt this fall guys! You might not ever get the chance again and we need hunters in the field! To many horn porn addicted sport killers out there!


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## Florida Marine (Oct 1, 2011)

White tail opened today...  Nothing until around 0845, I have my pack in my lap and am stuffing my face with a piece of pork jerky.  I see legs in the underbrush and am like GREAT TIMING.  I slowly lower my pack to the side of my stand, grab my bow and promptly get snorted at, it stood there snorting, so it didn't totally bust me.  Later on a pair of what looked like does, but one could have been a button buck came in, no shot opportunities...

Snorty came back again for some reason and snorted at me...that always makes me laugh that a deer will come back and check you out.  No shot.  

Had to break down early to see some of my Marines off to a short Afghanistan deployment, headed back into another training area on base but the wind was picking up and I lost interest for the day (as well as fell asleep in my stand for a spell).


So day one - zero meat in the freezer.  Weren't many coming into the game check today, so think it was a slow opening day.


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## Rick P (Oct 2, 2011)

At least you had game to keep ya on your toes, good start to the season!

Tracy is always amazed how aggressive a white tail can be, stomping snorting and checking to see if your still around is par for the course. Moose and caribou just move on or run away, but in Michigan at least the deer will stalk you! Cant tell you how many times I have ended a stalk on a big buck only to damn near walk into him when I doubled back, seems them old swamp bucks like to keep an eye on there predators.


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## Florida Marine (Oct 22, 2011)

Well today was a low point...  Gut shot and had no recovery on a doe.

I have re-run the scenario in my head a million times - had perfect anchor points, I use a hind sight on my bow, so torque is usually not an issue.  I picked a spot behind her left leg, aim small, miss small - usually.

She double jumped, and ran off left leg lifted.  Waited a half hour, climbed down and found no blood, white hair and brow what has to be intestinal/stomach fluid.  Got a clean pass thru and the arrow was covered in blood.

No blood trail - none, zero.  Even had a guy that does dog tracking help me.  Spent about 2 hours, nothing.  He said chances of finding her are nil.

I feel so terrible.


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## Monolith (Oct 23, 2011)

Ick...

I dunno how you guys do it.  I just don't have the heart to kill an animal for fun.

I'm not judging; I love a good steak... but hell, I feel bad for killing a spider, let alone something the size of a deer!


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## Florida Marine (Oct 23, 2011)

Monolith said:


> Ick...
> 
> I dunno how you guys do it.  I just don't have the heart to kill an animal for fun.
> 
> I'm not judging; I love a good steak... but hell, I feel bad for killing a spider, let alone something the size of a deer!



I don't consider it fun...its more instinctual.  Hunting touches parts of me that nothing else can.

I have great respect for what I kill.  

(spiders being an exception - heck insects period- I could be the Pol Pot of insects and still not kill enough!)


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## ohiococonut (Oct 23, 2011)

Ken before you shoot that old LeFever again you might want to have it checked out by a competent gunsmith. Low brass and high brass mean nothing as far as todays modern firearms are concerned. Even in old firearms what is considered low brass, by todays standards, may exceed that weapons designed chamber pressures. There are several grades of LeFever shotguns depneding on how ornate the stock and engraving is and as they were getting away from damascus barrels, LeFever as well as some other manufacturers decided to make what was called damascus decal. It's not a true damascus twist but rather an overlay on the barrel since they were so fond of the design. As always, with any old firearm it's wise to consult a "competent" gunsmith before firing the weapon.

Don't know that I've ever killed an animal for fun. Man has been a hunter/gatherer since the begining of time and that's unlikely to change.


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## Displaced Canadian (Oct 23, 2011)

Hunting, it's just walking around enjoying the view right up until the moment you shoot something. Then it's just work. In south east Alaska the first question you would ask yourself was, can I get this thing back to the boat? As for the buying a bigger gun to compensate for shooting ability I have seen that. I have seen people take 300 yard shots because their rifle could shoot that far. Problem was the shooter was doing good to hit a target off hand at 100 yards. Hunting in Alaska was great you would go on a mountain and the only people you would see were the people you went with and then only if you wanted to. In Manitoba you would go into the bush 1/2 mile square and there was a good possibility you would get yelled at by another person to get out of his area. They didn't like it when you pointed out to them that because of their yelling you might as well both go home because they just told every deer in the area that you were their. Our property was on the south border of Bird's Hill Park and at the first crack of a rifle the deer would cross the road into bow hunting area only. As their crossing the road that white tail sure looks a lot like a middle finger.


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## Rick P (Oct 23, 2011)

Monolith said:


> Ick...
> 
> I dunno how you guys do it. I just don't have the heart to kill an animal for fun.
> 
> I'm not judging; I love a good steak... but hell, I feel bad for killing a spider, let alone something the size of a deer!


 
No rational human being likes to kill! Read Florida Marines post again, you'll see sorrow for causing suffering. 

I hunt for many reasons, none of them include blood lust. I hunt for health, enviromental and spiritual reasons. I hunt to comune with who I am as a human being, like it or not we are predators. I hunt to obtain true organic meat for my family. I hunt becuase the meat I get is in my belief more spiritually clean. I hunt becuase wild game has little impact on the enviroment while farm rasied protiens are almost always a detriment too it. I hunt because taking a life eye to eye then processing it with reverance for the gift of life my family has recieved is more respectful to the animal than buying a hunk of it's flesh in plastic. I hunt to live within nature as a part of it instead of an exploiter of it.........life feeds on life, I chose to be an active participant rather than a by stander.

I have many friends who are very left leaning, several who are vegans. Many others who will eat some meat........if I harvested it! Why? Because they have no doubt that it was harvested as humanely as possible, treaded with respect and valued for the individual it once was. True hunting is not about dominating nature, it's about living within it.


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## Rick P (Oct 23, 2011)

Displaced Canadian

Alaska is full of folks who can't hit the broad side of a barn because of "get a bigger gun" syndrome! Drives me nuts that so many have gotten away form the traditional values of hunting and expect technology to make up for lack of discipline! Personally I blame the hunting media and it's horn porn approach. Hunting has nothing to do with rock music, fast cut editing and product placement!


PS Anyone who thinks moose hunting is fun is welcome to come help me pack out!


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## Rick P (Oct 23, 2011)

Florida Marine said:


> Well today was a low point... Gut shot and had no recovery on a doe.
> 
> I have re-run the scenario in my head a million times - had perfect anchor points, I use a hind sight on my bow, so torque is usually not an issue. I picked a spot behind her left leg, aim small, miss small - usually.
> 
> ...


 
Hit a 3D range to verify your effective range, make sure one of the targets is set up like your blind. Slow down a bit in the field and "feel the shot" before you take it. It happens once or twice in ever hunters life......now we both share something with Fred bear. He said his greatest personal failure in the field was not recovering a bear he KNEW he had arrowed. Same happened to me this year. Fred said it haunted him till his last day.........I expect mine will be with me forever too.


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## Florida Marine (Oct 23, 2011)

Rick P said:


> Florida Marine said:
> 
> 
> > Well today was a low point... Gut shot and had no recovery on a doe.
> ...



Just got in from shooting and I shot all yesterday afternoon...I am hitting solid out to 30, slamming shafts together.

Think I rushed it, was my first shot at a deer this year - and I got too worked up.  I have gone over and over and over the scenario and I can't remember what I saw when I released...just remember seeing the entire deer.

Hunting with a mentor next Saturday, going to calm down and sniper anything I get in range.  

I can't pull this arrow back, wish I could.


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## SGM Retired (Oct 23, 2011)

You know I want to see pics. I did go Hog hunting last week but caut short after one day when my partners wife got sick. Hope to return soon to nock some piggy's down.


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