Today I..... didn't do much.
My ATV that I use for hunting is a 2010 Honda Rancher. Bought it second hand about 6-8 years ago. The thing had decent front protection from the factory, but not much on the rear and I knew I'd be driving through brush at the hunting club. With that in mind shortly after purchase I bought a Moose Utilities rear bumper for it. FF several years (~'21) and I decided I wanted the matching front bumper. Wouldn't you know it had been discontinued and out of stock everywhere. I search occasionally hoping that NOS might pop up, but never successful. Also check classifieds regularly for someone that's selling a 4 wheeler and willing to part with the bumper, generally strike out there too or it's too far away to even inquire.
Well got lucky and happened to change my search terms last week and a used one, bumper only, popped up about 1/2 hour the other side of where I hunt at. So hit the road for the hunting club last night, figured I'd get up this morning and hunt, then go get the bumper in early afternoon. Didn't sleep for $h!t last night, never do in that camper and the weather isn;t helping. It's still too hot and I end up lying there sweating all night. Get up this morning and there's a thick fog bank, can't seem more than about 10 yards until after 9am, so no point in heaing to the stand.
So with sleepless night and wasted morning out of the way, I head for town that my bumper is in. Get to town and stop for lunch prior to agreed 1pm meeting time. Get out of the truck (F-250) walk around the back and hear a hissing noise. Picked up a nail between camp and town. Instead of getting lunch I end up fighting with tire shop next door about fixing it. They wouldn't "patch" due to company policy regarding wear and age. I know it's due for then, but I wasn't buying from that place's limited selection and waiting hours for them to be delivered. Finally got them to say that they would do a plug. YES PLEASE! I don't need the tire removed for a patch, I just need it to hold air to get home. Plug is fine, and if I had a kit I'd have done it myself.
Anyhow finally got all that settled, got my bumper, and had an uneventful 2 hour drive back home.
So yeah, this is all I've got to show for this weekend's hunting trip. It's the listing picture and will be cleaned up and painted prior to install. Might even take the time to buy and mount a winch for deer retreval in places I don't want to drive into.
My Son is in the police explorers here and they worked at an adoption event for the local shelter this weekend. He, like his mom and dad, has a soft spot for animals and took a shine to one of the dogs there. Everyone meet Diesel, the newest addition to our zoo!
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He is one of three pups that were found dumped on a rural road. Other than being severely underweight (we’ll fix that!) he is in good health and is a super sweet dog. He had messed in his crate so Sam helped clean him up and they hung out together through the event. He begged us to let him take him home and because we’re suckers we relented. Oh well no regrets.
I was a Police Explorer Captain.
Good looking pooch. Nice coloration. Is that what they call brindle? If he's a malnourished pup, he's going to be a big boy once he starts eating right.
I was in Boy Scouts in late 90s early 2000s, and got my Eagle in December 2000 at 15. Back then the Explorer and Venture scout programs didn't really have a presence in my area, or I probably would have joined one after I earned eagle. At 15 it would have been perfect timing to move into one of those programs, and since I was close to driving age it wouldn't have been a burden on my family to get me to meetings and events.
Instead I stayed on as a then stayed on with my troop as a Junior Assistant Scountmaster and then Assistant scoutmaster after turning 18. Continued until college and work schedule took up too much time. Then some things in the troop went south, the SHTF nationally with political correctness and scouting, and I was glad I never got back involved. Nice to know that the Explorer (and hopefully Venture) program isn't suffering like the main scouting program.
15' behind her was a spork (spike by fork for those not up on technicals
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I'm a hunter and "spike by fork" doesn't really help either. I'm guessing that's supposed to be read like lumber size (IE: 1" x 2") which might make a spork a 3 point?
Either way congrats on the harvest. Can't eat the antlers, so any meat is good meat. << I know someone is thinking it, get your mind out of the gutter.
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You're doing better than me. I've been to the woods twice this year, only made it into the stand once, and have seen nothing except for the two that dad got last weekend.