F-Troop Est. 1968

Friday: Leaddog’s pursuit is hampered by a new issue: GOUT! Although in great pain, and too much to detail here, Leaddog still shows up to maintain his leading membership in the FAMHC. Polecat and Hobbit were at camp, investigating the possibility of a frozen water line. All was declared to be in working order. Probie arrives and earns his second FAMHC recertification checkmark. No hunting commenced due to “electrical” problems with equipment, which was soon fixed. The crew will be happy with the results of said fix.

Saturday:With a full complement of Rangers, it was decided to hunt the Beast O’ Mighty. Leaddog’s paw, now in worse condition than on arrival keeps him from joining in the escapades of the days hunt, HOWEVER, being a true trooper, instead of going home he sets up watch in the bed of his truck, under cover of a warm sleeping bag on private Ftroop lands and awaits the appearance of the tame six pointer. It was pure hell, while the gang was over the hill. Anxious moments ensued when the Hobbit pushes a big doe towards the awaiting watchers, which as usual disappeared.
Meanwhile over the hill: Digger?

Sunday:Leaddog’s paw prevents even a local hunt, and no watch was endured which resulted in an early departure. A wet trail of tears was seen on the pavement heading towards the flatland.
Meanwhile on the hill: Digger?

Friday:Probie, a member of the FAMHC meets Leaddog to put on a hunt, and to keep his “membership in good standing” active. Both decide to hunt Beaver Valley to recon the lands for mules. Three inches of partly cloudy ensues, with Probies navigation unit being on the fritz. Old school techniques were deployed (map and compass) which led to the eventual meeting with Leaddog at a defined place. Probie earns his advanced navigation badge, which Chip will never earn. With two other members of the FAMHC now joining the hunt, a drive was now in order. Robba and Digger mans the watches, which leads to a doe running over Robba as pushed to him by the Leaddog, at the very end of the hunt. All four members retain their status in the esteemed FAMHC by mandatory attendance.

Saturday:An urge to hunt far away lands results in the crew attacking such. F-Troops top rangers are summoned by said urge to go and find scrapes and rubs proving that the Beast ‘O Mighty still exists, which it does, and still appears to be outwitting them. An all day hunt, miles from the normal hunting grounds gets all excited and tired. One last mini-drive was completed in the last 10 minutes of the day, which resulted in Robba seeing a doe. This seems to be a recurring theme: hunt all day and have mules in sight at the very end of the day.

Sunday:The crew now decides to do one of the normal Sunday hunts, and as a result most have a nice walk. Does once again were encountered on part one of the hunt, with part two having a little more excitement. Since the Toucher was no where to be found, due to urges not associated with hunting deer and his illegal absence from camp, a fill-in was needed to perform the task of the Toucher’s role in the drive. The crew assaults the hill does are encountered and once again sprout wings, as always. Somebody was dating Touchers’s does! And as always, a large mule was seen as a blur escaping at the same spot that is never covered, as always, AND as always, Leaddog gets to sit and listen to all the action on his dead, no deer ever, watch…..as always.

The FAMHC(“Friday Afternoon Men’s Hiking Club”) is set to meet on Friday for the second time this year and Polecat is already pushing for a name change. Leaddog and Probie will be present in the morning with Digger joining them shortly there after. Polecat has informed me he will not be attending and has demanded of the three members, in good standing, that they be outta the woods early! He has made it clear that we are to cease hunting early so we can put on a drive to the local watering hole to rescue the barrel of swill! I fear the future of the FAMHC is heading for dark times spent buzzing around a bar instead of out exploring untouched lands! I will not endorse the name change from FAMHC to FAMDC! (“Friday Afternoon Men’s Drinking Club”)

-Digger

Friday: The FAMHC resumes activites as Leaddog gets a chance to hunt solo! Arriving to overcast skies, a walk up the hill resulted in immediate IFR conditions. Not to have his day alone ruined by clouds, the walk resumes and a lunch was enjoyed at the Hilton. A decision was made to continue on, and soon the skies lifted enough to actually see. What was seen was eight miles of sacred hunting grounds with no mules! One feeble attempt at a scrape was observed. Still, an enjoyable day in the Northwoods.

Saturday: Polecat is talked into not walking to Old Forge, in an attempt to save what’s left of his hip. Instead he walks to Inlet, which Chip tried to do before he was once again saved from himself. A drive is formulated in which Ftroopers were to converge to a specific point, which most did. The mules decided not to converge with them. Part two of the hunt resulted in flat topped mules were finally seen leaving the area in which the crew now occupied.

Sunday: The crew hunts one of the local bunny hills, due to an early departure because of an upcoming weather event. Chip was given the task of driving along the lake, which once again resulted in his apparrent decision to go uphill into the middle of the drive. We shall never know why this happens. A hasty retriet to the flatland ensued to prepare for the upcoming weather event.

Saturday: The crew reassembles once again to chase mules across the lands. Heavy rains prior to opening festivities produces a predicament for those with stream crossing limitations to figure out a better way to even get to the cable to cross the first of many creeks. Once the long legged jumpers were across the creek and set up in video mode to capture any “plungees” (see “Sploosh-Cat goes Wilder”), it was determined that a better crossing method was to be deployed, since four others with the same limitations were to soon follow. An engineering marvel occurred and a workaround was found using parts from a stashed “non-conforming structure” to build a bridge for said access. To the dismay of the jeering longlegged jumpers, an access was deployed denying the anticipated photographic event. All made it across without incident, which incidentally was the result of the days hunt as well.

Leaddog send two does right over Toucher’s toes, who then vanish into the still attached leaves which abound everywhere. The crew pushes on to send yet another mule down the hill, possibly looking for the newly built stream crossing.

Polecat cries like a Mamby-Pamby baby about being on watch in the flatland for a whopping twenty minutes, which was heard two miles away via radio, up top by the now leaderless rangers. This is also produced a situation alike when the Apollo moon missions went behind the moon resulting in a communications blackout for a period of time.

It was bliss, until the crew got out of the shadow returning to the Polecat’s range, and rage of transmissions.

The whining continued.

Sunday: Waking to heavy rains, and the promise of more the crew hunts “local” which still entailed three miles of hiking. Part one of the hunt results in contact with mules by Digger on part one of the drive, and the Toucher on part two, and a possible mule heading downhill with “brush” reportedly being seen by the Polecat, on part whatever…..

The upcoming Friday commences the FAMHC activities, which appears to be a solo hunt by the Leaddog. 😉