Geo in Co
- Thread starter George
- Start date
George
Well-Known Member
You will miss those Iowa oaks for heating when old man winter shows up.
I'm working on the fourth row, the math says 3.5- 4 cords of spruce so far. I'll probably be good with 7-8.
This stuff splits like and seems to have a similar density as to ash.
oak- 22.1 mbtu/cord, ash- 17.9, spruce- 15.3.
G
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Satguy
Active Member
I just got back today from my week of vacation in Pagosa Springs. My wife and I drove alot of mountain roads in the evening and found that the most wildlife we had seen was on McManus road and Plumtaw road. We saw everything possible except for an elk though we heard one bugling. We seen a bear that had been harvested by a guy from Columbia Mo. Saw lots of turkeys up there too. One guy said he saw a huge muley buck with a drop tine just south of four mile rd on road 400 going towards town. He was a local and said it was one of the biggest he had ever seen.
Fish
Well-Known Member
Thats a good looking stack of firewood, G. Nothing better to keep a man in shape and he never has to get on the treadmill. We will all be missing the ash tree soon. I still have them, but the borer has already found Little Blue.
People tell me burning wood is too much work. I hope i never see it that way. Post pics of your fire when the snow falls.
People tell me burning wood is too much work. I hope i never see it that way. Post pics of your fire when the snow falls.
George
Well-Known Member
I'm heading up McManus this am to see if I can't find some elk again.
People in Iowa used to ask "what about my ash" and I would say " kiss your ash good bye.
Between fire wood gathering and bow hiking my morning heart rate is dipping below 50bpm again.
It is pretty easy to sweep 15' of round pipe once a year.
The old earth stove that was a no go with State Farm
and the new Vermont Castings.
Thanks Weasel.
G
George
Well-Known Member
Thanks Sam.
Cutting hedge fence posts is a leading industry in Van Buren county Iowa. A sharp chain lasts about 1 or 2 cuts. I have been cutting that spruce and haven't yet sharpened my new chain.
Beautiful stove and hearth! Looks like your pup has already found his spot.
Thanks for sharing those pics.
Thanks and welcome John, I think that we need to consider cutting and burning firewood recreation.
I'm starting to understand the woes of public land hunting. Yesterday I went back to the spot where I found elk opening week. In addition to the guys camping on the trail there was a truck from South Carolina. When I came out there was a truck from NY too. I went in on the trail 4-5 miles then off grid up and down a couple of ridges. I found good game trails, lots of tracks, lots of poop, and a bunch of rubs. At one point on my way back down in the afternoon we had a triangle of bull elk with a cow in the middle all bugling and calling. One bull, me from Pagosa and the other 3 elk, I'm assuming, from Castle Rock, Sc, and Ny.
G
George
Well-Known Member
I need shared observations at this point, quercus gambelii, gamble oak. I have been confusing Mosca road for Mcmanus road. I hear that elk like those oak thickets on that hill side so I will try that area next week.
Yesterday I got out of the ride and headed north west for the ridge.
I found a pleasant forest on the way with fewer fallen trees so easier to navigate. I saw good muley sign and some elk sign.
I went over a hill, along a drainage, crossed the drainage, then followed it up to the top.
My side seemed a bit tame (the haze is from a prescribed burn west of my house)
compared to the Weminuche on the other side
To the west, the hills over by Silverton.
Big horn country to the north west.
I was moving faster on the way back down tooting a cow call and I bumped 2 muley bucks that I didn't get a good look at. Once I realized that I went too far down the drainage past my crossing point, according to the compass, I crossed and wandered around a bit when I bumped a big Muley up from right in front of me at least a 4 point, probably more, wide and tall. So I can find good mule deer almost everywhere that I go but haven't seen an elk since my first 2 hunts. Instead of being lost I trusted my compass, left the drainage, and headed south east where I realized where I was after topping a hill and found my ride down the other side.
G
Blizzard Ridge
Well-Known Member
Such beautiful country. I have enjoyed following you on journey for the elusive elk. You will get on one before long.
George
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys.
Fall doesn't wait around for the calendar around here.
I went up the trail yesterday where I started my first hunt. I met up with the fella that camps out at the trail head all season. He killed a 1000Lb 6x6 the first week, not the boss he says.
Outfitters loaded up the meadows up top this year with about 30 hunters all camped stacked on top of each other. 1 bull taken up there. The parade came down on Sunday.
The guys from Sc, Ny, and another from Missouri also left empty handed happy for experience but a bit beaten down by the mountain vowing to kill whitetails back home.
I figured the last weekend would be a crowd but my new elk buddy said no it will be quite, everyone has given up and gone home. He implored me to get back up there. He got his son on bulls 4 out of 5 days without a kill. He has another young fella up there now but I'm going to see if he might take me out on Sunday, the last day.
I asked him about the gun seasons here and he said that there are no gun seasons here. He said by 3rd and 4th gun season there might be 8' of snow and the road will be closed.
I had a mountain hike on Friday, cut and hauled spruce trees on Saturday, split the trees up on Sunday, and started back up the trail Monday morning. My leg muscles felt like they were laden with lead instead of oxygen and glucose. I was numb nuttin up the hill just off the trail and I had 4pt bull jump out of his bed about 25 yards in front of me, damn.
I wanted a new challenge and I found it.
G
Fall doesn't wait around for the calendar around here.
I went up the trail yesterday where I started my first hunt. I met up with the fella that camps out at the trail head all season. He killed a 1000Lb 6x6 the first week, not the boss he says.
Outfitters loaded up the meadows up top this year with about 30 hunters all camped stacked on top of each other. 1 bull taken up there. The parade came down on Sunday.
The guys from Sc, Ny, and another from Missouri also left empty handed happy for experience but a bit beaten down by the mountain vowing to kill whitetails back home.
I figured the last weekend would be a crowd but my new elk buddy said no it will be quite, everyone has given up and gone home. He implored me to get back up there. He got his son on bulls 4 out of 5 days without a kill. He has another young fella up there now but I'm going to see if he might take me out on Sunday, the last day.
I asked him about the gun seasons here and he said that there are no gun seasons here. He said by 3rd and 4th gun season there might be 8' of snow and the road will be closed.
I had a mountain hike on Friday, cut and hauled spruce trees on Saturday, split the trees up on Sunday, and started back up the trail Monday morning. My leg muscles felt like they were laden with lead instead of oxygen and glucose. I was numb nuttin up the hill just off the trail and I had 4pt bull jump out of his bed about 25 yards in front of me, damn.
I wanted a new challenge and I found it.
G
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Now George, tell me, and be honest, doesn't that stalking along the ground beat the heck out of sitting in a treestand for hours, even if you are empty handed at this point?? I bet if you look in the mirror your smile is bigger than its been in a long time. Wish the eastern whitetail hunters would learn the fun in it. Sure hope you tag out soon, have enjoyed the ride. Take the Million Dollar highway thru Silverton before the snow set in. My buddy was traveling south out of MT last week and had to detour Beartooth highway as it was snowed in for the winter.
