RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

Most of you guys probably already know what I do - since I've recently posted about my job change. I work in the IT/Computer field doing various tasks. My favorite is IT Security stuff...

Of course I really just work so I can feed my hunting addiction :D

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

For all of you who want to know the real Al VonGunden, here you go.:D

Born and raised in a small town an hour south of rochester ny. I worked many odd job around the town, mostly construction. I figured to hell with that, between carrying shingles up and down ladders and playing some hard core highschool sports i am now 18 and have a bad back haha. Long story short, i am now in my second semester of finger lakes majoring in conservation and taxidermy. Pretty good gig ive got now, school 3.5 days a week, work/do whatevertheheckiwant the rest of the time. Well thats about it hopefully i will be able to get into a good job with the dec here or something who knows. That or i will just live off welfare in a shack in the woods and spend my money on beer, bullets, and gas who knows, i have big dreams.:D

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

This is the first team I've ever been on that's had it's very own taxidermist! Keep studying hard Al. If we keep winning, you might have some business coming your way.

Once you start doing deer heads, let me know. I have some questions - thinking about maybe picking up a fleshing machine.

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

yeah, just answer his questions... we all know that you won't ever have to mount anything. That would require him to shoot a deer first.:D

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

Well fran im on birds and fish right now, i'll be doing deer heads in the fall. Any questions you have i'll be glad to answer!

P.S. dont let dustin get ya down, your a heck of a hunter, i dont care what they all were saying about you when you were gone!:D

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

Keep it up Dustin - we'll just have to beat you down (again).

Al - for several years, I've been toying with the idea of maybe picking up one of those hand-fleshers that run off of an air supply. Not the big Dakota machines - the little ones.



I've got a small compressor for running nail guns when we do roofing work - and I think it would work pretty well with this thing. I've just never seen one used before...

I helped mount a couple deer, and fleshing a cape by hand with razor blades from the hardware store is a real pain in the ass (and I don't want a huge Dakota machine taking up all kinds of space in the basement).

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

haha i hear ya there, up at school we just use a fleshing board with a big fleshing knife and go to town. Its really not too bad doing it that way.

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

Well team, I kinda scored last night.

Background story: Every evening on my way home, I can get a quick peek between these 2 small ridgesat a large field off to the East, and it's always loaded with deer... I always scope it out and think "I'd give my left nut to walk those fields..." So... I got on google maps and located this little hideaway.

Last night, I finally gathered up the gumption to go there. Long story short, I'm in. I didn't wanna ask too many questions - so I'll kinda have to piece the puzzle together and schmooze the landowners over time. I'm not even sure how much acreage I can access. So, Saturday morning at 7:30 promptly, I'll be in there trying to start answering my own questions.

I get the feeling that this place is isolated enough that it may hold some really good deer, both quality and density. It's shoe-horned between two parcels that are absolutely wallpapered with Posters, and bounded on the other two sides by major highways. Man, I can't wait for that alarm to go off on Saturday morning.

Al: I've never used a fleshing board. I always sold all my coon and possum pelts whole, so...Honestly, the hardest part of taxidermy is trying to flesh the face. I just wind up poking a bunch of holes in it and cutting my fingertips to shreds.

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

Sounds like a great score Fran - hope it works out!! Make sure to keep us posted!

To a lesser degree I've had a few good developments... I was invited along to do some turkey hunting on a pretty sweet farm... So I'm getting pumped for that to roll around - Apr 12 is the opener!

Of course the real score would be to hunt archery whitetail's on the property (cause I'm pretty sure no one archery hunts it for deer) - but I'm just gonna take things slowly and see what happens...

RE: 13-Official Team 13 Thread
 

Allright guys... It's mid-March, and I still haven't found a fresh shed. This is depressing. I'm not sure what I'm doing differently than I've done in the past - but this is getting old.

I guess I'll be able to take out my frustrations on some turkeys next month. Maybe that'll turn my frown upside down.