RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

The new job is for a consulting firm to provide engineering support to the project mannagers for air and water handling systems. Most projects are in the steel industry, but I could find myself in most any industrial setting. The job will be a challenge and I will be learning a ton of new things. It'll be a mix of office and field work. It's finally a job where I willfeel like I've accomplished something at the end of the day.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Someday, I too will have a job like that lol. J/K Ryan, congrats on the new job.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Okay guys - I went shed hunting yesterday.

Started off good - weather warm, barely any snow on the ground. I left home at 10:00, scheduled to start banging on farmers' doors at 11:00. Staying out till dark.

10:45 - a big snow cell passes through the area, putting 1/4-1/2" of snow coating on everything. Grrr..

11:00 - I stop at a farmer's house - ask for permission - DENIED! Guy says he's had too many problems with hunters on his property, so it's now closed to everyone. Nice guy - I hung around a little while shooting the bull, trying to butter him up but no dice. Nice 500+ acre piece.

11:10 - Stop at farmer #2's place. Huge farm, maybe 1000 acres. DENIED again! Farmer says there's a local guy who comes out every year to pick up the sheds - so he doesn't want anyone out there stealing his glory. Fair enough. He also brings up the fact that the hunting scene is getting a little nuts, and he's wary of allowing new guys on his ground.

11:15 - Stop at farmer #3's house. Little200-300 acre place, but nicely-mowed fields (short grass= easy pickins)- ask for permission - DENIED again - turns out this guy is also a shed hunter. He wants me to stop back later and see him.

11:30 - More snow as I pull in to the gamelands. I hiked the fields for 2-3 hours, found nothing but a headless deer carcass, a dead doe and treestand (locked). I pulled out the camera to take some nice pictures... Batteries flatlined. I put in new batteries... Still flatlined... I think my camera is broken. Still no verdict on that yet.

There were some good muddy trails and feeding areas, but by 2:30, there was 1" of snow on the ground, and you'd have to step on a shed to find it. I waved the white flag. Look for my cell phone. Lost. Hope I left it in the car.

2:45 - return to car. No phone. I'm standing there all disgusted, and I hear my phone ring in the distance. WOW! I wander around a little bit and finally find it. I crawled under a fence and it fell out. Score one for the good guys!

3:00 - I return to farmer #3's house. Super nice guy - he was all excited to see somebody else who actually hunts for sheds on foot. Apparently, there's a local guy down there who hogs up all the sheds by buzzing around in every field in a 3 mile radius on his quad. He can cover half the county in a day on that thing. Local guy is Farmer 3's chief competitor. He showed me his box of sheds - very impressive - he had a couple sides that would've come from a 140-class buck. Says his son killed a 165" buck in rifle season a few years ago. Super smart guy - old timer - says he's been practicing qdm for 10-15 years. Had the racks to prove it. Used to be a trapper in his younger days.

In a small-world-moment, he says I used to have a guy come down here to hunt, but he quit years ago - then proceeds to drop my grandpap's name. Wow. Turns out that my grandpap used to hunt on this guy's ground.

I could talk to these older guys all day long.

I probably hung out with this guy for at least 2 hrs - 70+ years old, still going. Anyway, he gave me his contact info and told me to get in touch with him before turkey season starts. I'm trying to volunteer with NWTF this year and participate in a guided youth hunt for crippled kids, and needed a good, isolatedplace to go with ATV access to get the wheelchairs and everything in place, and he was excited about helping.

So my bad day turned out to be pretty decent.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Getting shot down is tough Fran, hopefully that guy that let your gramps hunt will let you on his place. Keep greasing those wheels buddy. I'm not ready to start the shed hunting yet, still seeing alot of deer with antlers. I'll give it a few more weeks, hopefully it will break 30 degrees here lol.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Good luck on the shed hunting guys. I have not been out to do that yet. I see this hunting could lead into good property to hunt hunt. I am going to try to make a good effort to do this, as property for next year is looking grim. I still have to get my stands out of the woods too. Sure wish I had done it when it was 40 degrees two weeks ago.
see ya

rybo- nice mount!!! and congrats on the new job, always an adventure jumping into the unknown, good luck.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Hey Guys - It has been a while - sorry, just getting hammered from all sides!

Well today was the day - almost - had the amnio this morning (was delayed 3 hours since the doctor got pulled into an emergency surgery) - his lungs are still immature - so we will have another go at it next Wed.

Troy - good talking to you the other day - best of luck with basket ball!

William & Ryan - congrats guys - I am happy for both of you! - best of luck! Love the mount Ry!

Fran - I got the video - will try to get some CD's burned and get that back to you with some CD's as well.

Anthony - hope you stay warm - we are getting the weather that Troy had last week and I think it is heading your way, so bundle up!

AR - best of luck with the ground - keeping my fingers crossed for you.

BBM - hope you get to keep the yard as it should be - it sucks being surrounded by people!

BD - I feel your pain Bro! - maybe we will both get a break for a while!

Gotta run and get back after it - will try to stay in touch better!

OH - any word on keeping XX for another year? - do we need to start the petition drive?!?!

Mike

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Mike - long time no C bro. Busy time for you, no doubt. Put that video thing on the back burner - you've got a lot of irons in the fire right now - save that for later this spring if you get time. Keep us posted on the amnio - best wishes.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Mike, best wishes on the new baby. Hope everything goes well.

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

Man you guys sure gave it another run. I'm impressed with all of you not only from last year but this year and all around comradorie and attitudes. I'll be proud if any of you make it on my team next year. We'll be gearing up to kick 17's arse's. lol

RE: (20) Official Team "XX" Thread
 

While I'd welcome the chance to be a teamate with you Rob, I was kind of hoping for an amendment clause keeping a winning team together indefinitely if they wanted to remain that way.