The Forestry Forum

I always get a kick out of folks around here talking about our "cold weather". Which I'm not a fan of. Every year I get to hear about how we need some good freezing weather so it will kill the mosquitos and fleas. I always just ask them how them same critters are able to live up north if they think cold weather kills them. You will always get to see the wheels upstairs start turning.

If only the cold freezing weather would do that.
But the birds need to eat too.
Not many fleas in my area, just ticks.

Yeah I forgot about the ticks. We think we can freeze them to death too. ffcheesy

Our cold probably doesn't do much for ticks but sometimes we get cold enough to slow down the pine bark beetles.  That might happen this week, lol.

Balmy 14 degrees here, actually not horrible for now, can attest the ticks don't usually show back up til the Lilac bushes think about blooming. Fleas and lice are open for business.  ffsmiley 

I am no expert but I have traveled North America quite extensively having visited every State and every Province.  It seems that the further North I am the more I am bothered with mosquitos and black flies.  The most mosquitos that I have ever seen was in Alaska.

Quote from: Magicman on January 07, 2025, 07:50:15 AMt seems that the further North I am the more I am bothered with mosquitos and black flies.

No shortage of crawling, flying, swarming, biting, stinging critters here in the North--in the summer, but all's quiet now.

I've heard in Minnesota the mosquito is the state bird... ffcheesy
I think dry weather in summer does just as much to keep the numbers down, fewer pools of standing water for them to lay their eggs.

I travel very little,  but I can tell you the black fles deer flies mosquitoes and most everything else, including ticks are far worse 3 hours north than they are here.  The only critters I experienced in my limited excursions south, were knats at Jakes.

(Saved by da draft function yea!!)

Quote from: Jeff on January 07, 2025, 08:35:17 AMThe only critters I experienced in my limited excursions south, were knats at Jakes.

(Saved by da draft function yea!!)

Chigger's will drive you nuts!

It's a southern thing, you wouldn't understand.. 

ffcheesy 

Don't think about chiggers and nuts in the same sentence....

ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy

I keep hearing about cold killing the ticks, one of the worst places I found for ticks was in Manitoba near Duck Mountain PP.
It's far enough north that the temp most hit way below 0.

The worst mosquitos were at Galbraith Lake, North of the Brooks range on the Dalton hwy.

Quote from: NewYankeeSawmill on January 07, 2025, 08:36:42 AM

Quote from: Jeff on January 07, 2025, 08:35:17 AMThe only critters I experienced in my limited excursions south, were knats at Jakes.

(Saved by da draft function yea!!)

Chigger's will drive you nuts!

Oh crap, I forgot about those. I'm pretty sure Brother Noble led me on purpose through a patch by the river while wearing shorts in drury Missouri the day before we came back to Michigan. I remember calling him the day I got home asking what I may have been exposed to. He laughed the entire conversation as he played coy.

Quote from: Machinebuilder on January 07, 2025, 08:41:18 AMThe worst mosquitos were at Galbraith Lake, North of the Brooks range on the Dalton hwy.

Dave just verified my statement about Alaska.  :thumbsup:

The silver lining for cold in Florida is people hope for it to kill Pythons and Iguanas.

  It is amazing what the critters will survive. I remember shooting a large cottonmouth when it was 20 degrees and I was duck hunting in N. Fla in 1971. He was swimming down a creek with ice on the edges in a beaver infested area. I don't know what prompted him to be out but I sure never expected to see one moving in that kind of weather.

Around Jake's there is a thing known as the Gnat Line. Seriously. Google it........... ffsmiley

I have told before about a taxidermist friend of mine that captured a live Timber Rattler that he wanted to mount.  Not wanting to damage it in any way he dropped it in his freezer and froze it solid.  When the time came to mount it, he took it out of the freezer to thaw.  Yup, when it thawed it was "live" again and ready for business.

One thing that I discovered down to Lynn's that we don't see here ever, that totally grossed me out, was Whitetail Nasal Bots! Like a horror film!!

Quote from: Jeff on January 07, 2025, 10:14:45 AMwas Whitetail Nasal Bots! Like a horror film!!

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/ffworm.JPG) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=355212)
Taste a lot like Longhorn Beetle "sawyer grubs".  ffcheesy

More appealing than a foot shot for sure! ;)

Ewwwww.  

I think the shorter warm season up north makes the pesky critters more frantic.

Watching old reruns of Dirty Jobs on Max. He did a segment down in the south a year after a hurricane. At a mosquito lab, they breed them for research. Brush some eggs in a vial, add some warm water, shake and they hatch out in 10 minutes!

Fire ants have done the deed with ticks and redbugs (chiggers) and quail and turkey.  take the bad with the  good.

I always heard those Mississippi boys will eat anything that doesn't eat them.

There is a story about that sawyer grub and a few young girl spectators.  One saw and the others did not.  When that one ran away screaming about dat white man eating worms, the fun began.   ffcheesy

Not authentic unless the innards of the worm are running down the chin.  Take a new pic MM.   ffcool ffcool

ffcheesy

Quote from: Magicman on January 07, 2025, 07:50:15 AMI am no expert but I have traveled North America quite extensively having visited every State and every Province.  It seems that the further North I am the more I am bothered with mosquitos and black flies.  The most mosquitos that I have ever seen was in Alaska.

I don't think that the Alaskans have cornered the market on skeeters, as I have seen many in other places.  However the largest and the smallest I have seen were both in Alaska.  The largest number of skeeters per cubic yard of space that I have encountered was at the plaques at the Artic circle.  The fact that it was raining that day may have had something to do with the high number per volume.
GAB

I remember hiking out of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming one time, all the people that I ran into that were on their way in wanted to know, "how were the mosquitos?". Well, there were only 2 or 3 mosquitos so we could've got to know each other pretty well I guess. I hear people talk about how bad the mosquitos can get in the high country, but I've sure never seen it. Maybe when you get higher into the alpine tundra areas they are bad or something.

But, sometimes I wonder if the locals have just never seen for real, northern MN style mosquitos. I've trained my wife and kids to just ignore them as well as they can when doing outdoor activities. We all love to camp, fish, and berry pick in the summer and if you let the mosquitos get to you, you might as well stay home. It's just part of life here.

Like someone else mentioned, cold winter temps have no affect on mosquito populations. I don't think it really affects tick populations, either. Drought definitely knocks the mosquitos back, but I think they just lie dormant and when you do get rain they come out triple strength.

There are some forest pests that are affected by cold temps. I've read that invasive Emerald Ash Borer experiences 95% mortality at -40°F. One silver lining to those frigid temps🥶

Insects like pine beetles, larch sawfly and others are also killed back by extreme cold, so those frigid temps are crucial to the health of our northern forests. It is said that the scope of Eastern Larch (Tamarack) that has died off from Larch Sawfly and Larch Beetle infestation
in our extensive swamps rivals that of the worst beetle kill out in the mountains out west. You just cant see all of it until you get up in a plane.

Quote from: GAB on January 07, 2025, 02:40:07 PMand the smallest I have seen were both in Alaska. 

We watched mosquitos crawl through the window screens on our Alaskan trip.  We were wondering where they were coming from and then noticed them sticking their heads through, squirm a bit and poof, they were on our side.  :shocked2:

Off is my friend several months a year

Quote from: barbender on January 07, 2025, 04:04:27 PMI remember hiking out of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming one time, all the people that I ran into that were on their way in wanted to know, "how were the mosquitos?". Well, there were only 2 or 3 mosquitos so we could've got to know each other pretty well I guess. I hear people talk about how bad the mosquitos can get in the high country, but I've sure never seen it. Maybe when you get higher into the alpine tundra areas they are bad or something.

But, sometimes I wonder if the locals have just never seen for real, northern MN style mosquitos. I've trained my wife and kids to just ignore them as well as they can when doing outdoor activities. We all love to camp, fish, and berry pick in the summer and if you let the mosquitos get to you, you might as well stay home. It's just part of life here.

Like someone else mentioned, cold winter temps have no affect on mosquito populations. I don't think it really affects tick populations, either. Drought definitely knocks the mosquitos back, but I think they just lie dormant and when you do get rain they come out triple strength.

There are some forest pests that are affected by cold temps. I've read that invasive Emerald Ash Borer experiences 95% mortality at -40°F. One silver lining to those frigid temps🥶

Insects like pine beetles, larch sawfly and others are also killed back by extreme cold, so those frigid temps are crucial to the health of our northern forests. It is said that the scope of Eastern Larch (Tamarack) that has died off from Larch Sawfly and Larch Beetle infestationl 

We have had both. The larch are starting to come back, I'm glad. I did name the place Tamarack Ridge.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=45897.0

... squirm a bit and poof, they were on our side.  (https://forestryforum.com/board/Smileys/alienine/shocked2.gif)

Lyn, they may have been INSIDE, but they were never on YOUR side. ffcheesy

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/61033/1000007980.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357336)

When I went to Alaska the skeeters were too big to come thru the screens. Had to pry them out of the grill in front of the radiator!

Oh! Dats cute! A U.P. Skeeter baby picture!

The highest numbers of skeeters I ever encountered was Bear tooth pass on the northern edge of Yellowstone NP. I was on the Harley and stopped to take a picture. The moment I stopped both arms turned black from the rascals. All I could do was let the clutch back out and take off again. Then start wiping them off as I got up to speed. I learned quick to look for water before I stopped in that area. If it had any kind of puddle then the skeeters were going to be bad.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/65100/Mosquitos.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=344584)

This was taken at Galbraith Lake

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/65100/Skeeters.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=344488)

This is in Delta Junction, AK

As bad as the skeeters were the black flies in the Northwest Territories were worse.

When I got to Fort Nelson I got a can of Kombat insect repellent, it is the best stuff I used, but it is not available in the US

Kombat, that sounds like good stuff!

One version, the best, of Kombat is 30% DEET.  

Picaridin 20% by Sawyer is as effective without the side effects of DEET - nausea and headaches.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3427.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357342)

We spend 6 weeks on Portsmouth Island each summer.  The biting insects can be biblical.  Picaridin on our skin and Permethrin on our clothes keeps us bite free 10-12 hours a day. 

Quote from: barbender on January 07, 2025, 04:04:27 PMI remember hiking out of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming one time, all the people that I ran into that were on their way in wanted to know, "how were the mosquitos?". Well, there were only 2 or 3 mosquitos so we could've got to know each other pretty well I guess. I hear people talk about how bad the mosquitos can get in the high country, but I've sure never seen it. Maybe when you get higher into the alpine tundra areas they are bad or something.

But, sometimes I wonder if the locals have just never seen for real, northern MN style mosquitos. I've trained my wife and kids to just ignore them as well as they can when doing outdoor activities. We all love to camp, fish, and berry pick in the summer and if you let the mosquitos get to you, you might as well stay home. It's just part of life here.

Like someone else mentioned, cold winter temps have no affect on mosquito populations. I don't think it really affects tick populations, either. Drought definitely knocks the mosquitos back, but I think they just lie dormant and when you do get rain they come out triple strength.

There are some forest pests that are affected by cold temps. I've read that invasive Emerald Ash Borer experiences 95% mortality at -40°F. One silver lining to those frigid temps🥶

Insects like pine beetles, larch sawfly and others are also killed back by extreme cold, so those frigid temps are crucial to the health of our northern forests. It is said that the scope of Eastern Larch (Tamarack) that has died off from Larch Sawfly and Larch Beetle infestation
in our extensive swamps rivals that of the worst beetle kill out in the mountains out west. You just cant see all of it until you get up in a plane.

The ice on a local lake is now 16" thick so I pulled my fish house out yesterday. We've had quite a few -teens temps so far this winter so the house has been cold. 
Got the house set up, started the heater and it wasnt long I had a mosquito bothering me inside the house. They bother me plenty fishing in the summer so I guess why should it be any different in the winter....

Them ain't mosskitoes!  I used to fish at Mosquito Lagoon, in Florida, and if you looked out across the water, it appeared as though the surface of the 30 mile long brackish bay is covered with a brown moss, however, this moss is a pure blanket of mosskitoes. 

They were so bad, we had to use 100% Deet as windshield washer fluid, with the wipers on high, as we drove in so they wouldn't suck the gas right out of the fuel tank and leave us stranded!  I once caught a giant snook that would have been a world record, but it jumped about 3 feet high out of the water, and by the time it came back down to the surface, it was as hollow as a wind sock!  Them mosskitos has sucked it flat in half a second.

Years ago driving truck I talked to a couple drivers from Alabama and Mississippi. They'd never been up north, and said while driving in winter they thought they saw what looked like little buildings on a lake. When I explained that those were ice fishing shanties, and people actually drove out on the ice and drilled holes to catch fish... oh the look on their faces. :shocked2: :shocked2: ffcheesy

 You should've told them there was a tribe of little people that lived in them, and they come into nearby truckstops at night to Rob sleeping truckers or something😊

I would be one of those Southerners who would also ask "Why??" and even "How??"  

I mean how in the world can you launch your bass boat on a lake covered in ice, and how do you fish a topwater lure or even a plastic worm on top of the ice?  I mean the hole is only a foot across, I guess you have to make real short casts?  

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 09, 2025, 09:38:06 AMI mean how in the world can you launch your bass boat on a lake covered in ice, and how do you fish a topwater lure or even a plastic worm on top of the ice?  I mean the hole is only a foot across, I guess you have to make real short casts? 

Mr. Miltonski:
With talk like that, it would make me think you were a resident of an eastern Europeon country.
GAB

Well Robert the hard truth is ice fishing isn't for everyone and just a hardy few partake. Truth be told, a lot of first timers give up before they even finish chopping a hole for the boat.

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 09, 2025, 09:38:06 AMI would be one of those Southerners who would also ask "Why??" and even "How??" 

I mean how in the world can you launch your bass boat on a lake covered in ice, and how do you fish a topwater lure or even a plastic worm on top of the ice?  I mean the hole is only a foot across, I guess you have to make real short casts? 

Easy. You train the Mink. 

That's why ice fisherman use those short fishing rods. Short, precision casts are the name of the game.

I'm thinking of taking the sport to the next level with ice fly fishing.

I like the mink idea, but I'm not sure how to put a hook in one to use as bait without getting killed.  I hear they are pretty mean. One the way to the lake, he could ride up front in the truck with me and Chip.

I think I would stop chopping a hole in the ice for the boat pretty quick, maybe about half way.

Those Europeans consider the Carp a gamefish and call them "Kings." I don't like fishing for anything that prefers corn over a lure, even trout.  Do you know the difference between a trout and carp? Nothing.   ffcheesy 

Ice fly fishing?  I saw those photos of Ice Mosskitos, I sure don't want any Ice Flies.

I always figured those guys in their little outhouses out in the middle of the lake were just hungover, or went to the outhouse in the middle of the night, and their wife cranked up the "home on wheels", and drove off. 

 

 

Y'all sure took this subject off in another direction. I remember parking the truck out on the ice, in Colorado. Once you had about 4 or 5 inches you could drive the truck out there and fish out the window while the heater was running. 

I see taking a car or truck out on that ice and doing high speed zippidy doo dah donuts and slides!

Come on up Milton, we'll show you a few things😁

When I was a kid, ice racing was a pretty big thing. Pretty much like the Enduro races that you see on local dirt tracks now, but out on the lakes. People figured out a way to stay entertained in the winter.

On 4 occasions I've been terrified while fishing. Twice in South Florida, big breaking swells coming into the inlet and a thunderstorm while fishing inside the shipping lanes. Then twice in Maine.  On a Lobster boat with massive swells, you couldn't see the boat next to you in-between swells and then Ice Fishing on a tidal river in South Addison.  The Ice was cracking like mad with incoming tide.  Good Times!
Some Lake Ice fishing cabins now are luxurious. Brook trout fishing is my speed now.

Quote from: Raider Bill on January 09, 2025, 02:11:48 PMI see taking a car or truck out on that ice and doing high speed zippidy doo dah donuts and slides!

Stark reminder of when a cousin and I drove my father's new 1963 Ford mustang out on the Mississippi river ice at Dubuque, IA winter of '64 to do some of the high speed donuts and slides. Put it into a slide at 60+mph and going broadside could see open water coming up not too far away. 
That was way too close to a major problem, only thinking Dad wouldn't like having me drop his new mustang into the river. Managed to get it out of that slide and as quickly as possible get off that ice. Can't trust river ice. 
One of those memories that send a chill up the spine just thinking about what could have been "the end" of a wonderful life. 

I used to fly fish for mountain trout year round except for March when the season was closed.   

Sometimes it was so cold in the mountains in February that my back cast would freeze in midair.   I had to find a big stick to knock it down.  

Ted, when my back cast freezes like that I like to leave it for a bit, it helps to release the coil memory from the line👍😊

River ice is tough and can be dangerous because water is still flowing under it.  We spent 20+ years going to the same fishing camp right on the St. Lawrence river. Over those years I got to know the owner fairly well, great guy, carpenter and house builder by trade also Captain on the town's fire boat, born and raised 3 generations. I loved talking to him. He had trucks stashed on most of the Islands on the US side of the border between Lake Ontario and the Thousand Island Bridge. They would drive them over in winter and leave them there with the keys in case somebody needed to borrow one. I asked his once how many vehicles he had 'out there' and he thought on it a minute then replied "I have no stinking idea, been bringing them out since I was 14 and ain't never brought one back yet'.
 One year, in the 80's, we came up and I saw he had an air boat parked in his field (along with 20 or 30 'regulars') so when we were sitting on the dock one night I asked him about it. "Oh yeah", he says "I got a line on that one last fall and went down to Florida to pick it up. Dang thing ain't much use down there, pluck full of holes, dents and cracks, ain't much left to patch. But it's fine for us. I got it for running across the river in winter. We get calls to fetch bodies back to the mainland of folks that passed in the winter. Also in a pinch for medical emergencies when they had no option. If the ice isn't solid we can't drive over, the fireboat is in dry dock for the season, and there's too much ice anyway. SO that ice boat is perfect, hit a wet spot or thin ice and it cruises right over. Had a heck of a time getting it registered though, dang coast guard." I had to ask, "What was the registration issue, aren't they used to air boats?" "Well No" he said, "that ain't it, they were just so stuck on their stupid rules. They insisted I had a working bilge pump on it. If that boat was on open water, it would take on so much water that I'd need a pump as big as that engine to overcome it. So I had to go and get a brand new bilge pump, and install it. The only time that thing has run was when they made me show them it worked. Stupidest thing I ever saw. A boat full of holes and it passes because it has a bilge pump." :wink_2:

 He did tell me it was not much fun to run because bouncing over that ice at speed would shake the teeth out of your head. Also, the wind chill sitting in front of that fan was something pretty severe. ffcheesy

Flyfishing in the winter???!!!  For carp?  If it was so cold that my backcast froze up in midair, I'd just leave it there, and come back to get it next summer! 

I like Jake's style of ice fishing, stick the rod out the window of a heated truck. 

I REALLY like the idea of training the mink!  That would be cool! We don't have minks here in Alabama, but have lots of groundhogs.  I wonder if they would work....   

ffcheesy

My wife's uncle was an avid trout fisherman.  Once he found out I would fish for trout, he rescued me from working in tobacco, plowing or hoeing corn or working the cows many many times.  

Opening day of trout season is early April in NC.  

He convinced me to take him to Price Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway not too far from Boone, NC.  

We left at 4 am.  Got there plenty early enough and by 9:00 he had caught his limit.  It was cold, spiting snow and sleet and the wind was blowing.  He decided to head back to the truck. 

I was struggling to catch my limit.  But I got my last fish about 25 minutes after he went back.  Only thing was, he left his fish for me to bring out. 

Thinking nothing of it, I carried 14 fish back to the truck.  Of course I met two game wardens just before I got to the truck. 

I explained my fishing partner was sitting in my truck and half the fish were his.  One officer walked over and talked to my wife's uncle.  They talked for a while.  

That officer came back over and said, "The very nice gentleman in that truck says he's never seen you before."  I felt the blood run out of my head and was about to fall out when both officers and Uncle Drexel broke out laughing.  

They had conspired and set me up!  

Anyway, Price Lake had ice on it, we had to break the ice up so we could fish.. 

Quote from: beenthere on January 09, 2025, 03:13:28 PM

Quote from: Raider Bill on January 09, 2025, 02:11:48 PMI see taking a car or truck out on that ice and doing high speed zippidy doo dah donuts and slides!

Stark reminder of when a cousin and I drove my father's new 1963 Ford mustang out on the Mississippi river ice at Dubuque, IA winter of '64 to do some of the high speed donuts and slides. Put it into a slide at 60+mph and going broadside could see open water coming up not too far away.
That was way too close to a major problem, only thinking Dad wouldn't like having me drop his new mustang into the river. Managed to get it out of that slide and as quickly as possible get off that ice. Can't trust river ice.
One of those memories that send a chill up the spine just thinking about what could have been "the end" of a wonderful life.

Did that once with my dad's 78 Chevy suburban.
I was sliding sideways and hit a patch of snow / frozen slush and ended up breaking the bead on one tire. Luckily my co pilot worked at the local standard station so we could fix it before Dad found out.

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 09, 2025, 09:20:14 PMFlyfishing in the winter???!!!  For carp?  If it was so cold that my backcast froze up in midair, I'd just leave it there, and come back to get it nex.t summer!

I believe there's an NC Wildlife Commission regulation regarding just how long its legal to leave a line frozen in the air.

I heard tell of very tall out of state hikers who collect "abandoned" fly lines frozen in midair.  Something about a "Milton Gang..."

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/467FA626-2CB1-4037-ABCE-A84DDA5BF97E.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=339358)
A plow on the front and a few yards of gravel in the dump box for traction.
Hit the little pedal on the right and make an ice road.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/EDFE0087-AAAC-4607-8413-91D9B174311A.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=339359)
Now that the road has formed, and the Milton Gang has been frozen into a snowbank somewhere, we can set our lines out of the windows at 'trolling' speed. 
Wee've found that a 'Canadian Wiggler' works best on a thick ice road.

Quote from: SawyerTed on January 09, 2025, 09:45:51 PM........

Anyway, Price Lake had ice on it, we had to break the ice up so we could fish..

So you were ice fishing?

Before I learned that a frozen back cast could straighten out a coiled up fly line, I used to sell the coiled up stuff to some folks from down South. They said it worked good for dental floss.

Quote from: Old Greenhorn on January 09, 2025, 10:17:59 PM

Quote from: SawyerTed on January 09, 2025, 09:45:51 PM........

Anyway, Price Lake had ice on it, we had to break the ice up so we could fish..

So you were ice fishing?

No sir, fishing from the bank.   The ice was quite thin but enough that required us to break it to fish.  

Interesting how this "Southern thing" thread is discussing ice fishing. ffcheesy
Southern Ontario perhaps?

But it hasn't gotten around to food yet.  We have caught plenty of "bull" so now maybe someone will fry some fillets.  ffcheesy

Sorry fellows.  If you folks are trying to emulate Mr. Ed McManus you have a long ways to go.  Amen!
GAB

GAB, do you mean the late, great Patrick McManus? 

Does he troll for ice fish?  I always liked Harry and Charlie by Bassmaster's Don Wirth.

Quote from: barbender on January 09, 2025, 11:28:55 PMI used to sell the coiled up stuff to some folks from down South. They said it worked good for dental floss.

OK, you got me there!  Just last fishing trip, I was eating a breakfast biscuit while I was driving to the lake and got a hunk of something hung in my teeth.  It was bothering the heck out of me by the time I pulled up to the launching ramp.  So....I did the redneck thing and used some 6 lb Berkley 9 carrier Spectra braid, spooled on my Ned Rig rod as "lake flavored" dental floss!  I looked around but didn't see anybody watching when I got the hunk of Jimmy Dean dislodged, but I guess I was wrong!

I hate to be so predicable.

Or Ed Zern... ffcheesy

Actually it was one of McManus' characters who was the greatest fibralator, Rancid Crabtree. 

Quote from: barbender on January 10, 2025, 10:05:54 AMGAB, do you mean the late, great Patrick McManus?

BB:
You are correct I got the wrong first name.  Sorry about that.
Mr. McManus had an article about someone ice fishing with his lab and supposedly the lab saw a fish and went after it.  The dog owner never thought he would ever see his dog again, but when he heard some god awful noise he went out to investigate.  Well supposedly the dog came up someone elses fishing hole and the ice house owner went out of the shantie through a newly hurridly created opening as the dog was between him and his ice house door.  I sure would like to be able to reread that article.  
I've never been ice fishing but how big of a hole in the ice do you need?
GAB
 

It depends on how big of a fish you want to pull out😂😂

A buddy who lives in Michigan says yellow perch are  a common ice fishing catch. 

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@GAB, I remember the story and I believe it was a spearing shanty where they cut a hole in the ice at least 2ft x 3ft to entice Northern Pike with a decoy and then spear them. I have heard of muskrat coming up a regular 6" hole and surprising the angler.

Quote from: jb616 on January 10, 2025, 07:43:11 PM@GAB, I remember the story and I believe it was a spearing shanty where they cut a hole in the ice at least 2ft x 3ft to entice Northern Pike with a decoy and then spear them. I have heard of muskrat coming up a regular 6" hole and surprising the angler.

jb616:
That article has to be in the neighborhood of 50 years old.  They say that the memory is the second thing to go, I can't remember the first, and what you said may very well be right.  That is why I would like to be able to reread it.
GAB

The other article from the same author that I remember well was entitled PIGS and it was in the mid 80's.  If you have ever been involved in trying to catch a young loose pig it would leave you with a lasting memory.  Why them short legged, low clearance  little critters can turn on a dime and give you 12 cents change back.

Apparently it's not uncommon for a muskrat to try to come up in a spearhole, and typically in a very bad mood. They are a pretty I'll tempered little beast generally, anyways. 

I had a retired game warden tell me a story once, hopefully I'm not repeating myself because I just told this story somewhere else recently- in MN, game wardens have the right to come up to your fish house on the ice and rip the door open unannounced, to be able to catch fishing rule violators in the act. Obviously this can create some tense moments. 

Well, this warden told me he had walked up to a spearhouse, and was reaching for the door when it suddenly blew open from the other side. The fisherman came out at a full run, with his spear that was tied off to his ankle dragging behind him. And right behind the spear, was a very angry otter that had came up the spearhole!

"Show me a man who fishes in the winter, and I'll show you a fanatic." 

Opening line from the story "Cold Fish" from the McManus book "They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?"

You can download them for a fee, but here is a guy who reads them.

So you are saying, and this is how it sounds to a Southerner:  
Ice fishing involves you driving your high dollar truck out onto the top of a partially frozen lake while dragging a lure out the window and your garden shed roped to the bumper hitch and trailing behind.  Then you drill a hole in the bottom of the shed, through the ice and use a fish decoy to try to get fish to swim up and say Hello??  At some point, you get a spear, tie it off to your leg with a short rope, and then wait for a big wet, angry rat to come out of the hole for you to spear because the fish didn't?  And if you miss, the wet rat chases you out on the ice, right into a cop who then can shoot you?  And you call this "Ice Fishing?!!!"  

Count me in!  Sounds like fun!    

That sums it up pretty well, Robert!😂

I'll have to take photos on my next ice fishing trip.

I think Yellowhammer's description is completely over blown accurate - but I'll have to check the photos to double check. 

Like looking in the mirror the morning after.

Sometimes threads on here remind me of the "grumpy old men" movies but this one defiantly does.

Quote from: GAB on January 10, 2025, 08:03:22 PM

Quote from: jb616 on January 10, 2025, 07:43:11 PM@GAB, I remember the story and I believe it was a spearing shanty where they cut a hole in the ice at least 2ft x 3ft to entice Northern Pike with a decoy and then spear them. I have heard of muskrat coming up a regular 6" hole and surprising the angler.

jb616:
That article has to be in the neighborhood of 50 years old.  They say that the memory is the second thing to go, I can't remember the first, and what you said may very well be right.  That is why I would like to be able to reread it.
GAB

The other article from the same author that I remember well was entitled PIGS and it was in the mid 80's.  If you have ever been involved in trying to catch a young loose pig it would leave you with a lasting memory. Why them short legged, low clearance  little critters can turn on a dime and give you 12 cents change back.

We used to raise pigs and while we had a small farrowing barn, sometimes we wouldn't get the sows into the barn in time and they would be out in the lot.  Nothing like trying to grab little pigs and hauling it to a fence with Mama right behind.  We'd try to muzzle the pigs if Mama was asleep but sound usually got out and a sow can go from sound asleep to full throttle in nothing flat.

Never have done any real ice fishing but don't deny being a fanatic...there's no cure.  

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_0930.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357396)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_0484.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357393)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_0894.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357395)

Next trip is January 24!

I used the leaf blower to clear the snow off the concrete.  It worked well, I guess all the Northerners use a real snowblower.  That got me to thinking.... 

Is a leaf blower used on snow really a "snowblower"?
Is a snowblower used to blow leaves really a "leaf blower"?




 

That just might work on the snow I am getting today.
Looks just about the same amount.
Will have to wait for a snow storm with a foot to give it a try.  :sunny:

I also used the leaf blower to clear the snow from the concrete pad in front of the garage, and it works because the light snow fell on frozen concrete due to a couple weeks with no snow and below freezing temperatures. 
With warmer ground, does not work so well. 
But I finished off the 1/4 mile drive/road with the 7' blade. 

Me, a couple buddys, and my son were out on the lake with atvs today.  No fishing, but in the words of RaiderBill, plenty of zippiedy do dahs!  We had a great.afternoon

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 11, 2025, 01:46:40 PMIs a leaf blower used on snow really a "snowblower"?
Is a snowblower used to blow leaves really a "leaf blower"?

Being in a position to blow snow or leaves interferes with fishing, hunting or sawing...so it blows no matter what!   ffcool

Had to resort to using the loader to scrape the snow on my driveway.  A blower would not touch it. 

When your fish shack location stinks, just move it. ffcheesy

https://youtube.com/shorts/kaoW3nlfTEc?si=2QJsw6xRlYDCdOqC

I like that! First time I've seen a cordless drill used that way. ffcheesy

That's a $25-30k fishing shack!  That's mighty nice!  

If you guys could see the amount of money out on the ice...it's just crazy. There get to be virtual cities of "Ice Castles" and expensive pickups to pull them with. 

It's getting to be an issue for resource management (in many ways). When a party of 6-10 people can go out and live on the ice for 4 days straight (with poles in the water 24-7), they tend to catch more fish than when people used to go home at night. 

I had no idea what he was saying without the closed captioning.

I kept waiting for a rabid muskrat to pop up out of the hole and tear into him like a Tasmanian devil! 

Quote from: barbender on January 13, 2025, 08:52:44 PMand expensive pickups to pull them with.

I grew up in N.Carolina and was told from an early age, "never walk out on the ice, a frozen pond/lake is NEVER safe". So when I went off to the U in Montana, I remember cautiously, slowly stepping out on a frozen lake, almost looking around to make sure my parents were not watching. It was scary. I did not know at the time that even thick ice cracks and pops, so I expected to fall through at any moment.

Then I was passed on the ice by 4 Big Sky-sized guys packed in a standard cab F-150. I was a bit more relaxed, but I still didn't like to hear the noises the ice made under foot.

Those big ice pops and cracks can wear on a persons nerves.
Does anyone else see the irony in here. If you take a look at the title and come in here to do some reading. I'm willing to bet this is not what you would expect. ffcheesy

Yes, I went to cross country ski on lake Placid in the most northern part of NY.  I was carefully side stepping out on the snow on top of the ice.  then I was told the ice is 3 feet thick and everyone else is driving on it.  I went about 40 feet and was done due to the cold and the thought of falling through the ice.

I'm thinking about either fixing up a mess of grits then going to check the ice, or just sit here and watch the Andy Griffith show while it snows.

And imagine I was thinking of fixing poutine and cheese curds before checking the still.  But there's a   Home Improvement marathon on stream I might watch instead. ffsmiley

And I was just thinking if I have to open a bag of grit and throw it on a mess of ice. (-10 here). ffcheesy

Quote from: customsawyer on January 14, 2025, 06:10:31 AMThose big ice pops and cracks can wear on a persons nerves.
Does anyone else see the irony in here. If you take a look at the title and come in here to do some reading. I'm willing to bet this is not what you would expect. ffcheesy

Jake, if you take a good look at the title it appears that you hadn't had enough coffee yet that day and dragged your finger across the keyboard and got an extra letter in the title.   That little addition is causing people to scratch their heads and open the thread up in curiosity.  Please don't feel too bad as I have done dooded the same thing.
GAB

Quote from: Jeff on January 14, 2025, 08:04:19 AMI'm thinking about either fixing up a mess of grits then going to check the ice, or just sit here and watch the Andy Griffith show while it snows.

Jeff,

Are you thinking of making said grits and then throwing them down on the ice for traction?  I guess that would work, and at least you'd get rid of some grits  ffcheesy

Quote from: GRANITEstateMP on January 14, 2025, 09:53:21 AM

Quote from: Jeff on January 14, 2025, 08:04:19 AMI'm thinking about either fixing up a mess of grits then going to check the ice, or just sit here and watch the Andy Griffith show while it snows.

Jeff,

Are you thinking of making said grits and then throwing them down on the ice for traction?  I guess that would work, and at least you'd get rid of some grits  ffcheesy

As our local sage would say,

"Boy, you ain't from the south are you?"

Sounds like more of a statement than a question as is often the case... in the south. :thumbsup: ffsmiley ffsmiley ffsmiley

I enjoy grits, but they need to be made in the south or by someone from the south, otherwise we'd need to get out the malt o meal, which also can be a traction aid.

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 10, 2025, 10:26:36 PMSo you are saying, and this is how it sounds to a Southerner: 
Ice fishing involves you driving your high dollar truck out onto the top of a partially frozen lake . . you call this "Ice Fishing?!!!" 
Count me in!  Sounds like fun!   

There some generally accepted rules and etiquette regarding ice roads Robert.
Here's one:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/IMG_7681~0.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357429)

Help the other guys fishing; be a fishing buddy.

Also (true fact) my truck is covered by my public insurance underwriter is she falls through. "Hard Water Fishing" is an endorsed activity sir.
A not-so endorsed activity is the . . ah, oldest profession in the world.
A news item two years ago involved many of the high dollar fishing shacks on the Red River near Selkirk, Manitoba. The one barbender showed is typical but so is the Grumpy Old Men's skid shack. Twenty four hour party time, legal gray areas (no road laws because there's no road, no boating regulations because there's no boats 🥳🍾👯�♀️🥳) It 'came to a head' when a regular parade of sex workers was visiting the fishermen. Channel Cats!
It's a bit more regulated now, with visits by the local CO and LEOs doing wellness checks. 
And they drive out onto the ice to do their work too. 🙌

Around here as soon as you drive out onto the ice your insurance no longer covers you... and if you go through, it's very likely your truck is now totaled. :uhoh: 
Also the DNR will fine you something like $500 A DAY for every day it's sunk in there. :uhoh: 
And good luck getting it towed out, a lot of tow recovery companies won't touch it. They had one here on lake Wausau a few years ago where the truck that went through was a ways out from shore. The wrecker never left the shore (can't blame him), and he daisy chained every cable he had just to reach it. :uhoh:
Another one they had to get a diver just to go down underwater to hook up the cable. After he came back up he said while down there he tried to start it, but it was flooded. ffcheesy

As long as there's no drownings, I'm all about the humor!

"Channel Cats"😂😂😂 Yes Andries, talk about grey areas. Probably the only thing that stops some of those ice fishing cities from being on about the same moral level as the old logging towns (bars and brothels) is that a lot of people go out as families with the Ice Castles. Just a winter camping trip. 

Otherwise, you have large numbers of drunken men, which seems to create the "market" that you referenced.

Here's a news clip of the one I was talking about. Something I'd say about this, while there are some fools that go through every year due to sheer stupidity, ice is inherently dangerous and you can be playing it safe and still have a bad day- as in this case. I think these folks were actually on a plowed ice road (resorts put them in and then charge people access) and a crack opened up mid-day. When they realized that there was a crack, stopped, and attempted to back up, they fell through.

https://mix108.com/watch-fisherman-goes-viral-after-sinking-his-truck-in-northern-minnesota-lake/

There was an article a few years back of I believe two Girl Scout girls that loaded a wagon or sled with of all thing girl scout cookies and were peddling them to ice fisherpeople.  They did very well and also made the news.
GAB

The south has its ways of claiming vehicles...

The beach in Currituck County Outer Banks aka Carova.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3454.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357431)

This is mild...

GAB, I like to hear of Girl Scout cookies doing well out there rather than ice hookers😂

Quote from: barbender on January 14, 2025, 08:35:02 PMGAB, I like to hear of Girl Scout cookies doing well out there rather than ice hookers😂

To try and stay slightly on topic, my daughter made me some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Cake like, yet still chewy. :thumbsup:

My buddy ice fishes in Minnesota and stays out on the ice for a week. They have temporary restaurants and bars out on the ice as well. I've seen people going around and selling burgers, hot dogs and hot chocolate here in Michigan...

I'm glad you caught that Gab. I've read right over it every time. ffcheesy Then again some folks say I talk funny. Thanks for pointing it out.

Quote from: customsawyer on January 15, 2025, 05:54:38 AMI'm glad you caught that Gab. I've read right over it every time. ffcheesy Then again some folks say I talk funny. Thanks for pointing it out.

Jake:
You are very welcome.  I must say it is the first thing that got my attention and aroused my curosity as to what you might be attempting to say.  After reading your entry and looking at the keyboard I came to the conclusion it was an early AM, not awake yet, getting two keys in rapid succession and not noticing it.
Hope you are having sawing weather as I parked my mill for the winter.
At noon today the weather forcasters are predicting double digit negative numbers for early next week.  I missed as to weather that was wind chill or calm.
GAB

GAB actually messed the spelling up.  I have been smiling about it ever since it was posted.  ffcheesy

I don't know about where my southern brothers and sisters live, but it has been so cold around here the plumbers pulled their pants up! 

Well 22° here all day with a pretty steady wind at 20mph, so the wind chill was about 3 or 4 degrees. We were doing our monthly food shopping and I saw a guy walking to his car wearing shorts, but because of the cold weather he had duct tape over the holes in his crocks to keep the wind down (he had no socks on).

Well obviously he was not Southern because if so, he would have been barefooted!!   ffcheesy

Southern plumbers wear bib overalls with no shirt. ffcheesy

I have a southern forklift, it got stuck in the .00001 inch of ice and snow today while a was getting a pack of lumber.  I was not happy.  Keep that stuff up nawth where it belongs.

Ice and snow serves no useful purpose, it's just rain that likes to show off and hang around.

 

 

The sand and gravel they spread in that parking lot for the ice might have been to much for his feet, I didn't ask.

The only good use for ice, is to put it over my beer in the cooler or in a glass so I can pour tea over it. Anything else it is wasted. We have a cold snap coming next week and I'm not looking forward to it. Maybe it will kill some of the fleas, ticks, and skeeters.

It won't.  It energizes and preserves them for the better weather when tall humans appear

We don't have the deer ticks up my way, but they do to the south of here. We have moose ticks, which I'm pretty sure are wood ticks. Only time I get a moose tick is walking by a dead moose. I've had wood ticks on me in Nova Scotia working in tree plantations, have had none here just from walking in the woods.  For some reason the horse flies (a bigger fly than a deer fly, that bites) have been real bad here the last two summers. And last summer was the first time I had deer flies come into a building to chew on me. They got into the shop when we had the door up and they were persistent like mosquitoes. Out in the yard, you see maybe two of them, knock them dead and might be none the rest of the day. But they sure flocked into that shop. They was hungry.  ffcheesy ffcheesy

That is odd, SD. Don't be sending your structure invading deer flies over here!

We don't have enough moose to have moose ticks in my area. Well, to know what a moose tick is, I should say. I know the moose do get ticks really bad, to the point it causes mortality in the winter because they scratch their hair off trying to rid themselves of them. I've never seen regular wood ticks hang on to anything past late summer though.

barbender, could that have been what happened to my hair?

Last March was the first moose tick I saw here at the woodlot. There was some moose hair caught in some bushes and had fallen on the crusty snow and a tick was in the hair. I know the moose ticks are bad in places south of here. Wood ticks I guess are a different species from these, but sure look the same laying on the snow but not blood engorged.

Dermacentor albipictus

wood tick species are Dermacentor variabilis

Well, did you find yourself rubbing your head on saplings and such, Granite?😁

We've been living here since 1988.  My wife was raised on this farm.  

We experienced something entirely new to us yesterday.   I use bins to store and move my firewood and move the bins with my tractor.  We were doing so yesterday.  

Our ground is FROZEN!  Not just some ice on top, real hard frozen ground several inches deep.  The top inch or so is thawed and is a slick mess.  Underneath it's pure ice.  

This is NOT a Southern Thing we are used to.  

Some call it global warming, ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy

So it's probably not a good time to be trying to plant anything. :wink_2:

 Hard as it may be to believe, there are lot of us that depend on that frozen ground to get our work done. If it doesn't freeze life can be miserable. That's what happened last year and it really messed up my log harvest. I just saw yesterday that the reservoir by us in now Iced over fully. That hasn't happened in two years, so also a good sign.

Tom, I understand completely.  The ice, snow and frozen ground are common enough for you to need the gear to deal with it.  Otherwise you just couldn't get anything done.   

Frozen ground is just an uncommon situation that we aren't prepared for here.   Things like tractor tire chains are expensive to use just a few times ever. 

SawyerTed I think you have more frost in the ground than 
I do.

About 12 years ago this time of the year we took our daughter to Disney in Florida, we stayed in one of their places and used their bus system to get around.

As I was sitting at a bus stop waiting for the bus a guy struck up a conversation with me and asked me were I was from, I replied "Nova Scotia" he said it sounds cold. I asked him were he was from and he said "North Carolina" to which I replied "NORTH Carolina.... that sounds cold!

I don't think he ever got the joke judging by the puzzled look on his face.

BTW most days that week that we were at Disney it was warmer at home in Nova Scotia than it was there. A warm spell here and a cold spell there but it did't keep us out of the pool even though there was frost on the grass the pool was warm. We had the pool to our selves too as people walked by in their winter coats and hats. 

I can remember 40 years ago when there were a few years in Fl that had some cold snaps that nipped the citrus orchards. Decades before that rarely happened from my understanding. We where there in '84 and I remember frost in the grass a couple mornings. But by the time we were done vacationing and heading home it was 87° that day. Back home it was in the negative teens, looking at the climate data about that time in Caribou, Maine which is 25 miles from here. A lot closer to here than Fredericton or Halifax, in case geography is a challenge. We flew into Presque Isle, Maine which is a 20 minute drive.

It's been cold in Florida for a couple weeks with more to come.

Saint John River here is full of ice as usual. It's affecting repairs on the old Hartland covered bridge. They've had to abandon the job until ice out.

Our Southern Buns just might get a surprise Tuesday because the "predictors" are predicting below 20°'s and a bit of Snow.  :uhoh:

I've been wearing socks and birkenstocks all week.
It's a Florida thing, means it's DanG cold!
Heading to Arizona tomorrow. Supposed to be even colder.

ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egwsW41eRCU&t=159s

Quote from: Raider Bill on January 18, 2025, 02:26:26 PMIt's been cold in Florida for a couple weeks with more to come.

Below 40?

This old Southern boy has loaded the insert for tomorrow morning and the forecast says for the next 8 days....Yikes !!!

As I age I find socks are mighty important, so that clip that SD posted strikes home. I don't wear muck type boots much, I have my size 15 orange Husky chainsaw boots with liners, but I have size 11 feet. Those socks would be great in those boots. I have been trying various quality socks and several years ago I happened on some socks that Madsen's was carrying and they were super. They fit w4ell, were comfy, but mostly they added to my comfort during those cold days. They came in packs of 4 I think, so I ordered some more thinking I would add a pack a year and build up my rotation. Least year I went to order more, and they don't carry them anymore. SO I tried a set of 'loggers socks' that were mostly some kind of Marino wool, I think. I don't buy synthetic socks and cotton is only good in July. It has to have real wool to be a good sock. The loggers socks are pretty thick, so tight in my everyday work boots. I save those for really cold days. Even today which wasn't really cold but we were working on Ice, my bad foot started getting pretty cold after 3 hours or so. They are too warm for mild days in the 30's and up. Still searching for a reliable source of sock I like.

I've been trying out some alpaca wool socks which so far seem pretty good.  I haven't gotten any thick ones yet but the regular thickness are pretty warm.

I know that when it is cold and you put your hand on foam board insulation it warms you hand up pretty quick. I wonder if you are working standing mostly in the same place if a piece of insulation board on the ground would help. I have used some on the steel floor of a backhoe before when we use to plow snow all day, it seemed to help.

I also had some socks with electric heat strips on the toes but I found that they made my feet sweat and they were uncomfortable but maybe there are better ones than what I had.

There was an incident in MN recently where a guy was wearing heated socks. The Chinese made lithium batteries ignited, he was struggling to get his boots off and recieved 2nd degree burns on his feet iirc.

This last week has been the longest i have had snow on the ground for a very long time.
I had about 3" on 1/10, it melted where the sun hits pretty quickly, yesterday we had rain and it took all day to melt what was left in my back yard.
It has been a bit chilly in the morning, some were 17 degrees. Native southerners told me id was Dang cold not chilly.

Now its hard to walk my dogs because it is so muddy.

This coming week there is more snow and real cold coming Tuesday night the prediction is 8 degrees. At least the mud will freeze.

I decided to send my tractor to the shop, I did not want to work on it in the mud, wet, cold. Something happened and I lost all the hydraulics.

I had to pull the truck and trailer out of the mud where he mired in the mud.

The weather guesser is predicting that we will get 3"-5" of snow Tuesday.  Yikes !!!

That's what I will get tonight for snow.

But we have not had snow in two years and even then not nearly that much.  :shocked2:

Gotta catch up on all them inches you missed.  ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy

Quote from: Magicman on January 19, 2025, 07:59:57 AMThe weather guesser is predicting that we will get 3"-5" of snow Tuesday.  Yikes !!!

When you salt your driveway it's not necessary to add garlic or Tony's.   ffcheesy

I think we had about -25° last night.

According to the weather personnel on the tele we had +27*F this AM at 6:00 in Burlington, VT.
GAB

GAB,

We hit 40 today in my part of NH. I was down to a hoodie at one point!  It was great, BUT, then the top layer of ground thawed a bit, but was still frozen underneath.  It was slick on the tractor and atv by mid day.  I will let you guess which was more fun to be on :wink_2:

I thought you guys were getting cold weather, I'm at 20F going down to 12F tonight, please take it back.  This is unacceptable.

By the way, southern socks have holes in them, and the only time we use them is to walk out on the front porch to shoot an armadillo, or water the lawn. It's a southern thing...... 

It's so cold around here, I saw a guy had duct taped the holes on his Crocks he was wearing, with his shorts on.

There's some people here that will wear shorts in 20° weather. They think they are college kids and probably in their 50's. ffcheesy  Well I know one, cousin's husband. ffcheesy They wouldn't if the car broke down and had to walk home.  ffcheesy ffcheesy

Seen a guy getting his car towed out of the ditch yesterday wearing shorts and a t shirt...stupid is as stupid does.....I always have boots, gloves, hat, and blanket in my vehicles all winter...

10 degrees this morning

Sox, my dog stuck his nose out and turned around. the couch is way more comfortable.

The mud should be solid though

Maybe on the good side, the cold will kill some of the bugs youall have down there. :wink_2: ffcheesy

22° here on this Glorious Inauguration Morning.  We have a warm fire_smiley  and no plans to go anywhere nor do anything.  ffsmiley

I woke up to this....

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18262/IMG_20250120_075310.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357484)

It was 40 yesterday and sunny.  Temps dropped and snow showed up.  We got about six inches, temps at 18.  I'm thinking of boxing some up and sending south so you guys that haven't had snow in a while can enjoy it  ffcheesy

We are sorta kinda forecast to maybe get our own tomorrow.  :huh?

13F here.  I think I'll put my shorts and flip flops on and go for a walk.  

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 19, 2025, 09:25:10 PMI thought you guys were getting cold weather, I'm at 20F going down to 12F tonight, please take it back.  This is unacceptable.

By the way, southern socks have holes in them, and the only time we use them is to walk out on the front porch to shoot an armadillo, or water the lawn. It's a southern thing...... 

Mr. Milton:
There are certain things we glaciated northerners are willing to share and cold is one of them.  Andries please make an effort to send them southerners another reminder.
Concerning your comment "By the way, southern socks have holes in them"  If they didn't have holes in them how would you get your feet in them?
Throw another log on the fire, get yourself another bowl of grits and blame the Department of Homeland Security for not doing their jobs and allowing that stuff to get by them and into the country.
GAB

I ventured out this morning in my slippers to check out how to unset the child lock on our Nissan Rogue after I googled how to do it.  Not flip flops, but close.  when i was growing up,  real men just went barefooted  lol

GAB, like this?

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/IMG_7712.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357477)

or this;

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/IMG_7714.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357478)

That 'lil note at the bottom of the summary "frostbite in minutes" is kinda important. Hotdogging around in shorts, a t-shirt or crocs is a guarantee that folks like @doc henderson will have to remove body parts.
That's a medic alert rather than fussy old man advice.

With weather like that, I'm not sure we will want you guys as our 51st state.  In the photo, it looks like the sun was getting frostbite and already lost a couple body parts.  

  

Just curious, looking at that forecast are the neighbors to the north now reading temperature in Fahrenheit? :huh?

Quote from: Resonator on January 20, 2025, 04:43:13 PMJust curious, looking at that forecast are the neighbors to the north now reading temperature in Fahrenheit? :huh?

When you are talking -35 whether it is C or F there is not a whole lot of difference.
GAB

Quote from: YellowHammer on January 20, 2025, 10:08:32 AM13F here.  I think I'll put my shorts and flip flops on and go for a walk. 

I hope you do not plan on being gone long in that outfit in that temperature.  And if there is a wind chill factor on top of that then it will be an even shorter excursion.
GAB

QuoteWhen you are talking -35 whether it is C or F there is not a whole lot of difference.

Yes you are correct. But when you're on the other end of the temperature scale it does make a huge difference. As the Australian rock band "Midnight Oil" so eloquently stated in their 1987 hit: "Beds are Burnin'"...
"Holden wrecks and boilin' diesels, steam in 45 degrees".
They didn't mean rather cool, they meant rather hot (113 Fahrenheit).

Andries PLEASE KEEP THAT WEATHER UP THERE.

I went searching for some of my warmer gear today, The dogs still want to go outside and want me with them.......

The last time I saw this kind of weather was a work trip to Michigan.
I'm glad I don't have them any more.

Resonator:
We're bilingual up here. 🤦�♂️
Weather, gas and speed are metric.
Groceries and lumber are Imperial (USA) measure.
For my American friends, I switched the website has a °F setting. 
YH:
The new First Lady wanted to be warm for the Inauguration, she asked for some assistance. 
We were happy to share.
 It's just who we are.

Like Andries said, we are bilingual. Most post 70's high schooled folks still like Fahrenheit up here unless they more science oriented or teachers. Sometimes you just have to be practical. No mater how loud you say it, it doesn't make it any more understandable.  ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcool ffcool ffcool

I have received my free sample of Winter.  I would like to cancel the remainder of my subscription.  Thank You.

I found that I had a wood stove hidden under the decorations, and it's running.  Been here 23 years, who knew?  It stinks from burning Brown Recluse so I had to open the windows, a little.   

Quote from: Magicman on January 20, 2025, 08:18:13 PMI have received my free sample of Winter.  I would like to cancel the remainder of my subscription.  Thank You.

I would like to suspend my subscription and possibly start it again for a very brief period in July or August.  (100 +14)/2 would be very nice in August. . .

Quote from: Magicman on January 20, 2025, 08:18:13 PMI have received my free sample of Winter.  I would like to cancel the remainder of my subscription.  Thank You.

MM:
Sorry to have to inform you that that request needs to go to a higher court.
You may get a reply by May.
Also you may need to plan another "bringing up the wood day".
Keep feeding the fire and stay warm.
GAB

YH: very nice, a Vermont Castings enamelled woodstove. 
Many of them in daily use up here and they're easy to look at too.
Your sawmill 'burn pile' might get a new name: 'woodstove pile'.
MM: remember the Readers Digest subscriptions from about fifty years ago? That Arctic Air is just like that.
You might stop the subscription, but it just keeps on a'coming.

2° here, but at least the sky cleared out for once in 3 weeks.  Lots of dry wood by the stove.  ffwave ffwave

- 5 degrees here now.  24 hour turn around from 5-night shifts (60 hours in 5 days) and back to days in 3 hours.

Think of all the $$ your making, time and a half after 40 ffcheesy
-3 here and no mosquitos. ffcheesy

Don't forget chiggers smiley_smug01

Low 20s here so not to bad. The fact that our normal high is close to 60, the fact we won't break 35 today, is the part I'm not looking forward to. Hope the wind dies down from yesterday. I'm not good at this cold weather stuff and they don't really sell proper cold weather clothing this far south.

Temp dropped to -3° here since last report. No ticks either, unless they are on the moose's fur.   ffcheesy

It's 4 degrees up on the hot side of zero this morning!

Our Snow accumulation hardly qualifies as a "dusting".  Maybe 1/4"at best.  We do have 26° and a forecast 15° for tonight.  Dat's Cold in my book. 

-14° degrees at 5:15 am in town according to the retired feedlot cowboy who helps out at the clinic, his indoor outdoor thermometer is right by his coffee pot. Colder than I thought it would get.

Just checked it's 13 to the good side wind is blowing hard out of the South.  I saw snow pictures from San Antonio TX a few minutes ago.  ffsmiley

He He, that's rich! I love when that happens! I have close cousins in Angleton/Freeport/Lake Jackson and occasionally they do see some snow, but it's very rare. They are at the same latitude as San Antonio, but of course a different climate. When it does snow, they have to be vigilant to see it, because it can be gone within minutes or hours. One Christmas they did get 3 inches and it freaked them out. Nobody has snow shovels or anything of the like. But within one day it was all gone like magic, but they had a freakish day for sure. ffcheesy

These are the type of storms we've had all month. Just a dusting and more like squalls. Them tracks by the barn are before the latest storm. Maybe 3"all moth off squalls. Won't cover a logger's boot toe. We even had a squall around the mountain today for good measure, but nothing over the house, yet.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/snowfall-Jan20-2025.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357483)

Don't amount to beans. But today was -3° F, that'll grab ya. But it was 90° in the shop when I stepped in to do some planing, sanding and drilling. Door and windows had to be open the entire time. I was in there for 8 hrs today. Opened up all the time. Yeah, I did throw a couple maple in there around noon, after 7 hrs since the fire was lit there was a shovel full of coals. I bet it's near 90 again, close dup for the day/night. Was terrible dry, 12% RH.  ffsmiley

"Won't cover a loggers boot toe"
.
Some measure snowfall without the boot.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/IMG_7446.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357494)

I had 4F when I left for work around 6:20 this am.  I saw -11F at a "cold spot" on my way into work about 15min from home.  I drove a little faster trying to outrun the cold...

What does a southern man do on the coldest day of the year?  

Shuck and eat oysters!  Wild caught York River, Virginia oysters!  

No photos of the event but here's the aftermath...

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3467.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357495)

I ate about a dozen and froze the rest for stew or chowder. 

Our high temperature was 21 F and it will be 15 F predicted tonight.  I expect colder.  All the snow is east of here, Greensboro to the coast.  

The Outer Banks are expecting 4 or so inches!  It ain't right!  

Funny you say that, I had a dozen oysters scampi and a half dozen fried, with an adult beverage.  My oh my Mr. Benny, best season on the Gulf coast,

I think this thread might become the 'part B" of the weather thread, but as I consumed a few adult beverages tonight I realized that the demographic here is largely connected to, and dependent on, the weather in our various regions. It's 7° here now and headed below zero tonight again. As much I would like to bemoan that or brag about that, the fact is, on reflection, I have to embrace it. This is more of a 'NORMAL" winter season for us. We would typically have at least a week of below zero weather at night and just singles digit highs during the day for a week or so around the middle of January. It was pretty predictable. This is what we are getting now. We (I) never enjoyed it, but we knew we would get it.
 Last winter we had almost no snow and the temps were mild all winter, in fact the ground never froze at all. Frankly it was terrible and had a very negative effect on a lot of forestry related businesses. It really messed up my mushroom logging entirely to the point I delayed cutting until the end of March hoping for a freeze up that never came. I really had to scramble and was not happy of the quality of logs I provided to my clients.
 So in spite of some discomfort and inconvenience, I am very pleased we are getting this cold weather because this is normal, not unusual.
 Now for our friends in the south who are not used to it, I apologize on behalf of mother nature, but it is what it is. Just do what we do, put another log on the fire. :wink_2:  

Quote from: Texas Ranger on January 21, 2025, 09:19:21 PMFunny you say that, I had a dozen oysters scampi and a half dozen fried, with an adult beverage.  My oh my Mr. Benny, best season on the Gulf coast,

Is that the American coast now? Gulf of America

15 degrees when I woke up this morning, 10 when I wake up tomorrow.  After last week's snow and this week's cold spell, I haven't been fishing in two weeks, and am now officially beyond grumpy.  My fluorescent shop lights don't work, the diesel Polaris barely cranked, (it's a 3 cylinder and I finally got one cylinder to hit) and worse yet, I had to put on socks and underwear today.  This is unacceptable.  

We've got 5-6 inches of snow on the truck this morning. These crazy folks down here were out putting brine on the road. Might stay home until the next rain washes it away.

5 degrees this morning, The frost looks like a layer of snow.

It's predicted to warm up the rest of the week.

We were a bit too far North to see the snow but the low temps are here, t'was 14° this AM.  

It is amazing to see what happened even 30 miles South of us.  To see snow in New Orleans and across the Gulf of America region is unthinkable.  :shocked2:

It was 20 here this morning with a bit over an inch of the white stuff.  My beagle didn't know what to do this morning.  His short legs put him in a awkward position while doing his business.

This is Ocracoke, NC on the Outer Banks of NC.  Reports show 4-6" of snow.  

Snow isn't unheard of there but it is a once every few years thing.  Often, if they get snow, they get anywhere from a few inches to a foot or more.  

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3468.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357496)

The DOT has sand moving equipment to move snow off the roads.   This time of year there are a few tourists and the residents number 900 to 1,000 or so.  

We are 200 miles west, no snow just sun and 12 degrees.  

They showed the snowfall New Orleans got on the news this morning. :shocked2:
People having fun with it skiing in the street and dancing around. ffcool 
One guy must've not had any ice melt salt, so he put Creole seasoning on his front walk. ffcheesy

I may run out and sprinkle a little Tony Ceceres (sp?) on our steps, just to be safe😂

You were close enough for me to know what it was:  Tony Chachere's (sa-shur-ee) (https://www.tonychachere.com/)

Something you don't see everyday, Ocracoke Light in the snow!

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3470.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357497)

Photo by Karen Rhodes on FB. Not my image. 

Well, that place in Florida called Frostproof is sounding like a mistake about now.

Take care all you Southern Gentlemen, it's suddenly a whole different game.

 Stay safe!

I just looked at my container of it in the cupboard Magic, and I was going to go back and edit my spelling but you've got it covered. Now I just need to work on the pronunciation🤔😊

I was informed by a friend in Alaska that its colder here than there.

My response "For Now................"

What part? I follow a couple up there that have -40 to -58° F at their place in the mornings right now. 

Andries, where I work (guide) is a few miles west of Frostproof.  When I pulled into the parking lot this morning, it was raining, blowing and about 37 degrees.  There was not any frost, but it turned out to be a raw day, not reaching 50.  My next trips are on Saturday, with three scheduled.  All are fishing and the first one begins at 7 a.m., followed by a 9:30.  The weather guessers are predicting 35 degrees down there Saturday morning, but it should warm up and brighten up later in the day.  

I think the name Frostproof was conjured up by a real estate developer in the 1800's, when a lot of the communities in our county (Imperial Polk County) were in their infancy.

Iguanas falling from trees: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/falling-iguana-alert-amid-cold-temperatures-in-florida/1730875

I wonder how the pythons in the Everglades will handle the cold.  Maybe it will slow some of them down anyway.

Quote from: caveman on January 22, 2025, 06:34:17 PM. . . . There was not any frost, but it turned out to be a raw day, not reaching 50.  My next trips are on Saturday, with three scheduled.  All are fishing and the first one begins at 7 a.m., followed by a 9:30.  The weather guessers are predicting 35 degrees down there Saturday morning, but it should warm up and brighten up later in the day.  . . . 

Layer up Buddy, and here's hoping the wind is low to No.
 A fashion-sense is useless compared to a stay-warm-sense up here.
. 
Some of the video on the newscasts in Florida look like Canada, but a wee bit further Southward.  ffcheesy
Like a 31 hour drive or 3337km. (2073 mi.)

I heard a bunch of weather forecasters down south got fired over the unexpected cold weather.  ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy

It warmed up to 18F today where I am in Indiana.  Had to bread out the shorts.  Gonna be heatwave tomorrow - 27F.

Don't y'all worry. Last Sunday it warmed up to about 55 and I came across this little guy on the dirt road.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11861/1000008209.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357505)

It's pretty rare to see a Hog Nose snake, they do happen to be one of my favorites. This is the second one I have seen in two years. They are non venomous, so the biggest danger is what some folks might do to them selves when they see them. I don't mind snakes and critters like them as long as they are in their environment, they will get left alone. 

When you speak to him, do you call him "scooter"? :sunny: :thumbsup: :usa: ffsmiley ffsmiley ffsmiley smiley_beertoast 

Quote from: customsawyer on January 23, 2025, 05:56:53 AMI don't mind snakes and critters like them as long as they are in their environment, they will get left alone. 

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Quote from: SwampDonkey on January 22, 2025, 04:50:55 PMWhat part? I follow a couple up there that have -40 to -58° F at their place in the mornings right now.

One friend is in North Pole, and one is in Delta Junction

This morning I have 12, North pole is 14 Delta Junction is 18

I had to laugh at the weather warning for Central Alaska

There is increasing likelihood that a winter storm moving into
the area will impact the Central Interior, including Fairbanks,
Thursday into Friday, and lasting through the weekend. Potential
impacts from this storm include southerly winds of 25 to 35+ mph
and blowing snow, moisture-laden snowfall transitioning to rain,
and then a changeover back to more snowfall along a strong arctic
front Sunday into Monday. Given the warmth of the airmass and
the amount of liquid precipitation, travel will become quite
difficult late week into the weekend.

There is still some uncertainty regarding the strength and
positioning of the storm. Stay tuned for future updates as details
are ironed out in future forecasts.

" travel will become quite difficult late week into the weekend. "
I guess I have gotten accustomed to the apocalyptic warnings here

Southern Translation
OMG IT MIGHT SNOW YOU BETTER BUY MILK AND BREAD AND PREPARE TO STAY INSIDE TILL SUMMER
ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy

Here in the South you understand we have sayings that mean something completely different than the actual words.  

You know, "Bless your heart" actually can mean something entirely different.  

So "Bread and milk" means an excuse to buy an unusual amount of beer and wine at one time.  ffcheesy

Over the years, there have been a lot of guys from our town of Deer River; MN that went up to Alaska for work. Back in the 70's and 80's I wouldn't be surprised if 10% of the men of the town were up there. 

Because of that, there's a pretty strong local connection to Alaska. 

The wives of the guys that worked up there would tell you that you had about 7-10 days for the weather in Fairbanks to get here. And that air doesn't warm up any by the time it gets here, either🥶

One fella I knew, a great guy, used to run a heavy haul lowboy up on the haul road (Dalton Highway) up to Prudhoe Bay. At the time I was working with him, the show "Ice Road Truckers" was on and they had a few seasons where they were on location on the Dalton. I asked him what he thought of that show, he just chuckled. He said that usually the road wasn't too bad other than a few areas with really steep grades. The main thing was the weather. Sometimes you'd get caught in a blizzard, and there was nothing to do but stop and hang tight. 

One time he got caught in one, in the morning he tried to get out of his truck and the snow was drifted right up to the windows of the truck. It was cold, hard packed snow. He had to crawl out the window, and he said you could walk right on top of that snow without sinking at all, because it was so dense.

I know he also froze a lung up there, I don't remember how that happened. 

Another guy told me he went up there, and he'd go to the union hall for operating work. They would dispatch guys up to the North Slope for the project going on there. He said there was a plane going up with guys that got hired, and it would come back with guys that got fired, "and I got to ride it both ways!"😂 

A lot of guys only came home once a year, if then. There were a few that came home to wives that had new babies...and they hadn't been home in over a year. No one much bothered with the math I guess🤷

I'm told there are areas of Alaska where the local dialect is straight out of MN, WI, and MI because of so many immigrants from the Lake States.

I may have to get up there and investigate Alaska myself.

I knew some guys years ago that drove up to Alaska, said leaving your engine running for days on end was common. Also I met a couple drivers in Denver one time hauling trucks up there. They had brand new Internationals that were sent out on a factory test program. They would take a factory heavy duty truck, double all the cab insulation, and send it out in extreme duty testing. Or as the driver told me, do everything they could to try to break the truck in the cold. 

But Alaska is 1,825 miles from the North Pole. Alert, on Ellesmere Island in Canada is 500 miles south of it and it's is -40° there today.  ffcheesy

Years ago in cold winters, I walked on hard packed snow here a good many times. The road by here was so packed tight with the hard wind snow that a snow plow couldn't do anything. Had to get a payloader to clear a path and a grader with a blower. I can remember a few one lane situations. Even this cold stretch we are in now isn't any colder than it's been that last 15 years. No -30's since 2008 here. 12 feet of snow that winter to, never stopped snowing from Oct 25, 2007 - May 15th, 2008. It was funny the second week of October of 2007 we had 3 days in the 70's.

In the bad cold with a wind driving it, you can't breath all that well. I've experienced it, it will take the breath right out of you. You'll definitely cough.

I see on tv at the cabin that the,Northern thing is now the Southern thing!

Quote from: Resonator on January 23, 2025, 11:37:06 AMI knew some guys years ago that drove up to Alaska, said leaving your engine running for days on end was common. Also I met a couple drivers in Denver one time hauling trucks up there. They had brand new Internationals that were sent out on a factory test program. They would take a factory heavy duty truck, double all the cab insulation, and send it out in extreme duty testing. Or as the driver told me, do everything they could to try to break the truck in the cold.

My brother worked at a testing lab that among other things did DOT testing of vehicles including things like defroster testing and other cold weather standards.  One of those standards was that in case of a rollover, the engine is supposed to stop running without operator intervention.  I forget the exact parameters but I think the lower standard at the time was -25f and DOT wanted to take it to -50.  They put several vehicles in the cold chamber and chilled them down.  A couple would run, a couple wouldn't start even with auxiliary battery power and two not only wouldn't start but even after being pushed out and warmed up wouldn't run again. I suspect if you are in a rollover at -50, you are in a world of hurt whether the engine cuts off or not.

I really enjoyed my trip to Alaska, and am very happy it was summer time.

While visiting my friend in North Pole (just outside Fairbanks), I was interested to learn he has radiant floor heating in his garage.
This is so he doesn't have to keep his cars plugged in. I saw many parking lots around Fairbanks that have plugins for your car.

I have watched youtubers that are living off grid in Alaska, They are a different type of person.
I would have a very hard time doing it, I have become too accustomed to some of the nicety of have power etc

We have a cold South wind. Feels damp, 15 above. I think you guys could keep that cold air down there instead of sending it back. Sorry about the frost damage to your Gritsberry bushes. 

Quote from: Nebraska on January 24, 2025, 10:29:27 AMSorry about the frost damage to your Gritsberry bushes.

ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy 

Nobody mentioned this as an option to ice fish in the south..
.

https://www.tiktok.com/@muddsuckersfishing/video/7463971119779859758

😂😂😂😂

ffcheesy ffcheesy 
Looks like something Robert would do... ffcheesy

Uh, it looks like something I HAVE done  ffcheesy ffcheesy ffcheesy  More than once. 

And grandpa used to get on to me for scaring the fish away.

How come I'm not catching any?  "You aint holdin yer mouth right"   

I prefer #6 shot if the water is less than 2 feet deep, otherwise the fish will float up kind of muddy.   

A load of #6 would only make a divot like that from a 9 iron in the ice we have up here now. You have better luck with a long rifle, but will likely need a box of shells. ffcheesy

I suspect the ice on my pond currently would ricochet a 300wmag

The water isn't that hard here in Santee SC.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3481.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357588)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/48503/IMG_3480.jpeg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=357589)

That's two blue catfish 48"  38" (typo ffsmiley ) plus long that came out of Lake Marion this morning.  It's 60 degrees where I sit on the boat, tied to the dock enjoying a barley pop. 

You'll have lots to eat tonight. :thumbsup:  I've only caught one catfish my entire life and I've fished a lot of lakes and streams. This one was on a very dark water stream, black as coffee. It was over on another watershed from here, close to 100 miles by road. Never seen one in the waters around here. Only bottom feeders locally are suckers, and they are not that common. Most stream here are speckled trout and a few places might have chub. Of course the main river ecosystem is disrupted by dams so Atlantic salmon don't run up it freely. Over on that other watershed with the catfish they do run free. A lot of places are closed to salmon fishing or it's catch and release. There are bass, some species of bass are introduced which is an illegal act. That particular one kills salmon fry. I have eaten catfish, first ever was at Jeff's annual Pig Roast. Member Fishfarmer raises them. :thumbsup:

In the words of a friend who lives up on Lake Winnipesaukee here in NH, our water is a bit "thicker" right now

Yes indeed. In the northern climes 'Hard Water' has a totally different meaning. ffcheesy

In the city of Merrill not to far from me, they set up an 1/8 mile drag race track on the ice. They've been doing it for 60 years, though some winters it was cancelled because of lack of ice. Multiple different racing classes of cars and trucks, unmodified to full blown race cars. Most of them running racing tires with hundreds and hundreds of screws studded in them for traction. move_it

Some of you mid west guys must have seen ice boat sailing before. They race them. They are mostly home built.  ffsmiley


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubGrIQQTkI


Pushaw Lake, Orono Maine.  Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NDgFuzPmNo

The ice schooners were out on the river racing this past weekend. Man they can fly!

Quote from: Resonator on January 28, 2025, 09:10:58 PMIn the city of Merrill not to far from me, they set up an 1/8 mile drag race track on the ice. They've been doing it for 60 years, though some winters it was cancelled because of lack of ice. Multiple different racing classes of cars and trucks, unmodified to full blown race cars. Most of them running racing tires with hundreds and hundreds of screws studded in them for traction. move_it

We did this on a nearby lake with what we called winter rats [cheap beaters]. Drive the cars there, change out the tires and have a blast. If the car makes it put the street tires back on and repeat next week.

Man, those ice boats look like fun! But cooold 🥶

Gulf of America, but also had oysters from the east coast, almost got the bluetip.