WEEK THREE! – 2016

Friday:
The second meeting of the FAMHC was held, with three members present for continued certification in the esteemed club. One of said members still has issues to be resolved, as will be discussed in depth further in this report. Toucher gets to his watch in the sky at dark and awaits for the beast of his dreams to appear. Leaddog shows up, and hits the backside of Beaver Valley and up to the area known as the “wet spot” – aka “the little black hole”. Probie shows up a little later (said member with issue) hunts through the Razorback area. Scrapes are observed, rubs here and there but no mules are pushed or seen. Up by the Spider Tree, which is a well known navigational waypoint Leaddog finds yet another motherlode of mushrooms! Filling a full grocery bag of the delectable delights, which weighed 8lbs plus thus filling his pack and adding more weight than desired, he asked for assistance from Probie to help transport the ‘shrooms out. A flat denial to assist was transmitted to Leaddog, who then (as leader, president and chief of said esteemed club) had to endure four additional miles of climbing and bushwhacking with the added weight on his back. Probie should consider getting a tattoo ”Probie for Life” somewhere placed on his person, since a lifetime achievement award has been earned. Sunday’s soon to be discussed endeavor with Probie proves that the tattoo ink should be sent to the bone. All departs the woods, and more scrapes are now present than before when the day started.

Staurday:
A gang of 13 is now assembled and a major push of a particular hill is in order. Watchers are placed, and drivers have their orders. Fog hides the woods creating a task for some of those drivers with technological deficiencies. All gets into place and drive one commences, with no mules seen or heard of. Scrapes and rubs abound, some new and some old – where is the maker of these signs? Part two of the day has about the same results, and Lindy actually sees two fe-mules! A quick part three just wears the gang out, so all trudges back to camp to enjoy mule steaks; with fresh free range, antibiotic free mushrooms to boot!

Sunday:
Followers of this site are quite aware of what usually occurs on Sunday, especially after spending two days in mule heaven. Why hunt where the probability of seeing the monster mule is best? No, as usual all are dispersed to hunt a hill nowhere near the area of interest of the last two days. The gang is sent to their usual places with NO results, not even Toucher’s dates are present. Where did they go to? Winter kill, coyotes, alien abduction…..what gives? We always run into Toucher’s dates, but none in the last two weeks! During the hunts pre-preparation it was conveyed that Leaddog should give up his watch to Probie…..which was not to be had. During watcher placement however, Probie seems to be in the general area of Leaddog, who then graciously, and reluctantly asks the Probie if he would like to man said watch and Leaddog would go up the hill. Yet another denial from Probie was given, and even better Leaddog found some ‘shrooms that could have made it all better, if Probie carried them back to camp. Nope – Probie shall always be Probie….Junior and Robba finds another motherlode of mushrooms – Junior gets his ‘shroom badge!

Stay tuned for week four – “Ftroop gives up hunting and becomes gatherers!”

WEEK TWO – 2016

 

Friday:
The first deployment of the FAMHC results in Leaddog, Robba, Steven and Polecat receiving their CHU’s as mandated in the secret club’s charter. The fresh snow of the night’s prior warmy-changy event resulted in 3 to 4 inches of tracking media. Leaddog heads out solo, soon to be joined by Robba and Steven, and takes the low route through the Knolls heading up to the area of the 10pt watch. A big track is observed heading in the wrong direction, as always. The members of the esteemed club formulates a plan, and hunts to where no deer are, as evidenced by the increasing amount of snowed in old tracks. The gang hunts the other side of the duck hole over “the little one” and back to camp with no success.

Saturday:
A well assembled crew wakes to rain, which now combined with the snow makes walking any distance to where the gang really wanted to hunt, out of the question. The rain holds off, and a plan is made – watchers up to Camp Knob. And the drivers to the Meadows to push back. The crew splits, all gets to their starting points and the rain actually held off! Usually at this point the deluge commences in fine fashion!
Toucher, Leaddog and Polecat drives, with Polecat taking yet again the Canadian route. Toucher sees two does vacating the area, and many track abound. Leaddog is perplexed by the cadence of said tracks, over logs, through blowdown, in the blow down, on top of the blowdown; what gives? No coyote pressure, feeding or alien presence was observed creating such a panic. Chip sees a pair of does on his way to his watch, Steven sets up in Camp Valley on the edge of the infamous, perilous “800’ cliff;” and Lindy goes high on Hooter Ridge. Digger and Robba are the roaming fielders, poking about here and there. The Piewhore stays low and guards the coming night’s dessert, as only the Piewhore can do!
The drive comes together, with the Polecat finally joining the crew after yet another brief encounter with the Canadian border patrol…. Leaddog finds Steven, and then is shown to him what may be the contributing factor of why the does down low were all in a tizzy! No less the 15 aggressive scrapes were observed, with much damage to the surrounding flora. Either the mule was digging for truffles or attempting to contact China, the ruts made by his digging were collecting water! The does were being harassed by the Mr. Wiener of bucks, but they didn’t want to play – just yet. Part two of the drive towards Piney Knob resulted in many rubs found, so there’s a mule of size operating in the general area without the proper permits. Permitting is a must!! On the way out, Robba earns his mushroom badge – by locating yet another motherload of the delicious delicacies – which was once again consumed with mule steaks!

Sunday:
The usual drive behind camp is performed, why go and hunt where the deer are!? All takes their prescribed stations, and all does what they do best – climb the hills! No mules were seen, and the rain commences just in time to soak the left overs – who incidentally finally moved the unused treestand to a much better spot, which most likely will be continued to be unused.
Next week – “Permitting” of mules!

WEEK ONE – 2016

Saturday
The gang gathers the night prior for yet another fun filled season of chasing mules across the lands. All awakens to the first round of warmy-changy currently in liquid phase mode and departs for a “close hunt.” Layers of Gore-Tex are donned, and all are dispersed to test this miracle fabric once again. One team is driven by the driver to the end of the objective, with watchers sneaking to their haunts. The Toucher proceeds to his “fields of amber waves of grain”, to commence what may be another waiting game for the certain buck. Leaddog mans his watch where a fine seven pointer was once bagged and dragged, Spike to his watch and the Pie Whore to his watch – which once again was close to the pies! Chip goes to Greenie’s Rock to relive the kill of last year – which weighed in at almost 1552 ounces!

Drivers begin the push, observing two scrapes. Polecat climbs to his starting point, up “the purple mountains majesty” with Robba and Steven start from theirs, and then the liquid phase of warmy-changy turns promptly into the semi-solid phase known as: SNRAIN. Leaves abound, which in conjunction with the SNRAIN makes seeing anything, including any objective that was to be reached by the drivers, now to be a feat of woodsmanship. All finds each other and departs towards the warm dry camp to discuss why they even went out and got all that high dollar space age fabric wet in the first place. No mules were seen or heard laughing at the soaked crew.

On the way out – Polecat sees a few mushrooms and declares we are now mushroom hunters. Steven is briefed on the correct species of said shrooms to find, which he did in 4.2 seconds! A FULL shopping bag of the delicacy was collected, and consumed with Saturday nights mulefeast!

Sunday
The crew wakens to the now snow covered hills with gale force winds. The days hunt is planned and all disperse to their spots in the woods as planned. Drivers and watchers climb high into the snow covered hills, some stay low. Leaddog sees a small doe on the way up the hill, and finds his watch. Steven covers the other side of the hill, with other watchers now in their place as well. Robba spanks a coyote on the way in, and the drive commences. All performs the usual push with no results. Polecat and Digger finds the Leaddog in his watch, and then commences part two of the drive. All works their way towards camp, with Polecat seeing two does. After the prescribed lag, Leaddog climbs straight up the hill and stumbles into a large bodied deer at the top – where the drive just went through just 20 minutes prior. Said deer as always, was traveling in the opposite direction of the drive. The crew arrives at camp, with no antlered mule in their possession.

Sandy Ariel

Hobbit’s wife of 53 years,  Robba’s and Marcy’s mom,  and my sister passed away up at their camp Monday morning.  She asked Hobbit to take her up there last Friday probably knowing this might be her last time.  Her heart gave out after a long battle with COPD.

The Piseco EMT’S and the Paramedics actually got her heart beating again about 30 minutes later.  By protocol they had to call for a helo ride to Albany Med where she was taken off life support at 4:42 PM (9/5/16) with her immediate family at her side

At exactly 5 PM the clock above her stopped.  They knew Billy (Stork) had taken her with him up to heaven.  And you know the rest.  (party time)

We will surely miss her at our family gatherings.

Polecat