Author: leaddog

Friday: An excited crew assembles for the last FAMHC event for this year. Holding true to their promise to hunt some “strange”, the crew indeed does! Returning to the new addition to the 25 square miles of established “privately owned state land” a hunt was soon commenced, which led to yet another snowy day. Venturing into the unknown, new routes were learned, as well as the sighting of “Icicle Al’s” truck in the mix. After a snowy walk, and decorating Al’s vehicle with F-troop memorabilia, a return to familiar surrounds took place. Lots and lots (and lots) of mule tracks abound. It appears they were just as confused as Ftroop……

Saturday: A full compliment of hunters, including senior members that could join as watchers due to the ease of their placement (quack-quack) return to the area of strange mules. Drives were performed, a new vessel was found and commandeered, with part two of the hunt consisting of “to hell with deer, lets find Icicle Al instead” being proclaimed. Two hours later, Digger gets the new “I found Icicle Al” badge! The crew has mules running about, Leaddog actually sees a doe, and it appears that the doe had a friend of four points that, of course…Icicle Al saw….and didn’t bag!

Sunday: A tired, mopy and disgruntled crew awakens and decides to hunt the bunny hill. The usual paths and watches were taken by the men, and the usual paths and escape routes were taken by the mules. The back door was again left open, (see Trailhugger’s encounter a few seasons back) as only the Piewhore was in the vicinity of the leaping bounding mules, one which was in question as to its gender. Chip and Stosh sees does, and polecat saw flags.

Sunday night: Polecat sits in a liquid mess of tears, beer, and SoCo as everyone heads home except him. He had chores to complete before coming down the hill on Monday, as directed by HIS denmama!!! 🙂

Friday: A turkey stuffed crew of four assembles on Thursday night to hunt early the next day. Polecat arrives at dawn (or soon thereafter), and the crew reassembles to see if the mule that Robba hit and survived last week was being consumed by woodland critters. No ‘yote tracks or ravens in the area, so it appears that the mule was indeed carrying a first aid kit. New lands were hunted, with “strange” mules being encountered. The crew vows to return next Friday and give it a go.

Saturday: Everyone but the Toucher is at camp, and a return to the old method of hunting is tried. A series of close to camp drives like in the “old days” was performed, with no results. Some mules were actually seen and the went to where the crew was not. Stosh even shows up, and vows to return next week! Polecats dogs decide to give the Pie-whore some competition, and eats the dessert that was supposed to be for the crew when left alone in camp. The last we saw was the actual Pie-whore sobbing and sharpening his knife; to extract said pies from the dogs….

Sunday: A abridged hunt of the bunny hill was accomplished, but without the Toucher to perform his usual route, it appeared to be for naught. A good portion of the crew leaves early, which further resulted in less eyes in the woods. A disgruntled remaining crew leaves somewhat early, to let the mules recover.

I’m not sure where it went, but I’ll have to recreate it. It WAS here though.
If any one can find it out there in cyberland, post it! Otherwise, this is a recap:
Friday:Snow-Hunt-Deer? (fill in the blank!)
Saturday:Hunt-Deer? (Fill in the blank!)
Sunday: Robba hits buck (4 to 6pt), and buck escapes. Hours long recon results in no buck. Buck appears to be carrying first-aid kit.

Friday: Leaddog arrives to meet Polecat unloading supplies. Robba and crew arrives soon thereafter to go play in the “three inches of partly cloudy” that didn’t stop until the ground was turned from brown to white. Several small drives were in order, with Polecat chasing mules up the hill into the clouds. More mules encountered as the day progressed, which provided a nice workout for both the pursuers and the
pursued.

Saturday: The entire crew assaults the realm of the Beast o’ Mighty in far away lands. Probie encounters a fresh buckrub on a tree that was the size of Spikes leg. Mules abound on the ingress route by Leaddog, no tails seen. Polecat shanghais Leaddog and pushes the Razorback out to Marsh, where he encounters a small buck with no chance for a shot. Chip decides to twist his knee on the escape out, and is placed on the injured list, but is still required to hunt the next day (see definition of “sympathy” and its location in the Ftroop dictionary). Polecat finds a hunter of a different brand in a tree stand, and cordially invites him to camp for a beer later; which they did. Three members of the rival “Scotty” camp drinks beer and marvels over the assemblage of horns and assholes that occupies Ftroops HQ. Other shenanigans were endured and will be discussed with the Toucher who wasn’t present this weekend and will be held liable. It appears that if Polecat can’t go to the local bar, he’ll bring the local bar to camp!

Our pursuit of happiness was compromised.

Sunday: Lowland, bunny hill hunts took place with drives that produced little. Boots were worn down from walks on asphalt to other watches as usual, Leaddog encounters two does as he lags behind as planned on the last drive. No buck this time! Hobbit has “visitors” in his watch area….which is still TBD as of their presence on private land. Where did they come from? Who were they? Were the looking for, and did they find George and Stosh?

Friday: The select crew assembles for a FAMHC event, and a big push is accomplished from Billy’s watch back to the Duck Hole, in which no mules were seen until the very end at the Duck Hole. One itty-bitty doe gives Polecat and Lead Dog a kiss as she runs by. Much sign was observed, including a mile plus long rub line that included no less than 10 rubs and associated scrapes on the “Great Migration Route”.

Saturday: With most of all the members present, including all associates of the FAMHC including Toucher’s guest who is a “return victim” from other hunts gone by; heads for lands far-away to find beasts o’ mighty. Lead Dog and Steven completes the long sought “ring around the mountain route”, earns badges, and determines that it was indeed a nice walk….right into Probie who was placed on watch, which was then determined as a ill advised instruction. Chip gets his west and east confused, (mixed in with his north and south) and ALMOST gets devoured by the gruesome green gorge, that would have eaten him like Spike on any form of food, fresh or rotten. Rubs and scrapes abound, on trees that could have been cut for lumber. One scrape was dug half way to China…..Not one mule was seen, but whatever beast is debarking telephone pole sized trees is STILL there. Wait till this coming Friday! 😉

Sunday: Harvest Team Alpha is summoned to encounter whatever was making rubs and scrapes on a closer hill to camp that was encountered last week. Drivers were placed on both sides of the “hill” and let loose. One mile later, at the end of the drive things got exciting! First, was the fact that NO watcher (yup you may have guessed already, Chip) was present at one of the predetermined watch spot that was assigned. The Chipster went downhill past the ROCK, only by a half mile or so to the asphalt ribbon and associated five mile long lake that stopped his downhill stroll which stopped his eventual multiple double digit mile travel to Speculator. Meanwhile, back on the mountain where the were deer and hunters present, things were looking up. The drivers had critters leaping off the hill like ticks on my dog. One critter decided to try it’s luck and run by Joe, (see return guest, from above) who had ready his .300 short Mag. rifle with high dollar bullets. At 100 yds plus, they engage and Joe was the winner with the downing of a nice eight pointer, 15″ spread about 130lbs, which cost him eight bucks for three shots….Just as Chip finally made it back up the hill to the awaiting thrashing and abuse from others, Robba encounters a Mama bear with two cubs…and then a doe that walks past the three “thrashers” waiting for Chip.

Part Duex; a chance encounter?

Part two of the drive results in yet another unexpected encounter up high on the hill. As Lead Dog approaches his watch, a voice and movement is heard just out of his sight. Worrying about hypoxia from the great altitude, a radio call was placed asking if anyone else heard said noise…which was no. Then Digger replies that he sees a blue jacket hanging in a tree, and hears and sees someone. An older women, was walking about yelling for “George”, who apparently was also walking about. After the interloper was thoroughly interrogated by Digger it was learned that they were “mushroom hunting”. The last we saw and heard of her was when she was somewhere about on the mountain, still yelling for George. We had two more drivers than we started with! An uneventful remaining hunt was in order, with the extrication of said dead mule. Maybe George was looking for Stosh!? 🙂