A Ma-Jeff-rical Visit

[Magicman]

So I built this platform last week and we made an additional bed??


 

Well, it was to better accommodate an expected guest.   


  
The planning for this trip began at last year's Pig Roast and Tammy graciously agreed to share Jeff with us for a week.  He left home just before a glacier came through that would have surely wiped out the Forestry Forum truck.

The plan was for some Deer Hunting, some Walnut Sawing, and some Eating and I can report that the mission was accomplished.  That plus we made a nice sightseeing trip.

The first evening's hunt was a total bust with us seeing one small buck twice, but I had a plan for the next morning.  An area that I have not allowed any hunting activity for over 10 years.  The setup was an uphill logging skid trail overlooking a bottleneck in the creek bottom.  We had seen one doe and a small 7 point before the action began at 8:40.  An 8 point came into the bottleneck, crossed the creek, and came directly uphill toward us before finally turning broadside.  The shot was good but the bullet apparently struck something and made an entrance  "keyhole" causing much damage.  The deer ran uphill about 100 yards and leaving a wide bloodtrail before falling.


 
The initial look.


 
A happy Jeff.


 
I took this picture from where we were sitting and Jeff is standing where the deer was.


  
This is a Sycamore tree that we found that had sprouted trees for over 10'


 
Jeff had a hankering for some more "Toothache" tree, so we fixed him one to go.


 


 


 
My tail gunner sawing a Walnut log.


 
The yield; two 9/4 live edge slabs and the remainder 4/4 live edge.


 
Yup, loaded up.


 
We ate Gumbo, Beef Stew, Taco Soup, and topped off the last night with 20 pounds of Crawfish with Corn and Potatoes.


 
Jeff's taillights fade into the distance this morning as he begins his trip back to the Glaciated North. 

Safe travels my Friend, and a big Thank You Tammy for sharing Jeff with us for this special time. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   So that's what happened to that walnut tree we discussed earlier. Are all the police on the alert for dangerous walnut poachers between Mississippi and Michigan? :D I am anxious to see those boards again on a future woodworking thread.

   Looks like y'all had a great time. Thanks for posting.

[Andries]

MM, you are the best host ever!
Southern Hospitality at its best.
Jeff will be hooked on road trips for life - or maybe he already is . . .

[Bruno of NH]

Looks like it was a good trip and to go home with some walnut

[goose63]

Look's like some mighty good viddel's  digin1 digin_2  I bet the Boss had a nap on the way home  8)

[Texas Ranger]

MM, how did that yankee handle those mudbugs?  I kinda thought there were the equivalent of grits?

[John S]

That visit must have took place last summer judging by Jeff wearing a short sleeve shirt.  There is ice (not too thick) on the lake here.

[Magicman]

It was well into the 70°'a here yesterday.

We only sawed one Walnut log.  The remainder is scheduled for sawing the first week in February.

[yukon cornelius]

That looks like a great trip. Good friends, good food, and good fun makes the world go around. 8)

[WDH]

Now he is going to have to put on a long sleeved shirt  .

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Enjoyable thread, thank you for sharing.

Is that buck a 7 or 8pt and what age do you think it is?

Jon

[Andy White]

Lynn,
That tail gunner looks like he's done that before!! Really good looking Walnut slabs. Those will look fine with some new Legrite legs!! Jeff looks twenty years younger when he's in the woods. Glad everything worked out and fell in place. Just what Jeff needed!!! Thank you my friend for doing this and sharing it with us.    8) 8) 8)
Andy

[Magicman]

Is that buck a 7 or 8pt and what age do you think it is?

He was an 8 point and probably 3½ years old.  He was not carrying an ounce of fat and probably weighed no more than 140-150 lbs.

[Den Socling]

Twenty pounds of crawfish! yikes And taco soup is funny because I thought Patti was the only one who made it. She made a big pot this past weekend.

[Roxie]

That bed looks mighty comfortable.  It's obvious that a weeks visit is restorative to both of you.   

[Bert]

 8) Looks like my kinda trip

[WLC]

I'm a bit envious of those crawfish. It's been awhile since I've had any.  I bet I could've eaten the whole 20 pounds by myself. Mmmm Mmmm good.

Looks like a good visit, good food, good hunting and some mighty fine looking walnut.

[Den Socling]

I'm still amazed with the 20 pounds of crawdads with everything else. I just Googled crawfish and see one company selling 10 pounds for $75. Maybe that's just tails. I'm afraid to ask ( ;D) is that all you eat?  :D

[fishpharmer]

Nice Buck! Jeff and MM, you think he was still rutting, causing weight loss?

[thecfarm]

A good time was had by all!!!

[Peter Drouin]

probably weighed no more than 140-150 lbs.
[/quote]



Good for you boss. Good eating.  Don't you bring it in and get tag and weighed?

[Magicman]

Our Wildlife Management Areas do have check in/out stations,  but there is no reason to have them elsewhere.  No tags here either.

James, he was on the hunt looking for another doe. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'm glad you got to make the trip Jeff. You probably needed a break.
At least we know a magic has at least 1 friend.  ;D

[SwampDonkey]

That looks like a really great time and allowed Jeff time from the cave to enjoy the things he loves with great friends. Good going MM and Pat. Wow 70 degrees in January. Though I must say we have had a few mild days this month, mixed in with the real cold ones. 

Back to reality Jeff. ;D 

[Magicman]

Den, yes, we had two 10 lb. bags of crawfish.  I have never heard of being able to buy just the tails. 

[Jeff]

I got a bunch to say and to add, but what the Magicman has not told you yet, that I was not in the best of sorts. I hope I'm not typhoid mary! I returned home about 11:15 last night after a 17 hour marathon drive. You can probably see in our feast photo that I'm pretty sick. Luckily it wasn't of the stomach variety so I was able to become an expert at downing mud bugs!  We just finished grinding Mr. Biggest Buck of my life into mostly burger, so it is back to bed for me. Turns out I have a fever too. Before I do that, I want to say in bit old letters

THANK YOU LYNN AND PAT (AND MARTY TOO)... FOR A TRIP I WILL NEVER FORGET AND WILL ALWAYS CHERISH!

Like I said, more to come. I may include how I had to beat up the Magicman to get his son Marty to officially join the forum! ;)

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Welcome back Jeff, hope you feel better.

I really like those horns, really dark.

Jon

[Magicman]

I may include how I had to beat up the Magicman to get his son Marty to officially join the forum! ;)

Many of you have met Marty through my writings about traveling/hunting as well as sawing.  Well, Marty challenged Jeff that if he could "pin me" that he would finally change his status from Guest/Lurker to Member.  OK, I got pinned and that is all that I am going to say about that.


 
Here is a screenshot and proof that Marty is now an official Forestry Forum Member.

[Texas Ranger]

From what Jeff has said, better get your shots, MM.   ;D

[Magicman]

I just returned from the Drug Store buying meds.   

[SwampDonkey]

Heal up, lots of time to tell stories.  ;D 8)

[Jeff]

This was a great pure hunt. No blind, no food plots, no bait. Just a pure plan playing the wind and the terrain where it came together to perfection. Well, in hind site. I thought I screwed up the shot the way that deer left the seen, but the shot was right on.


  

 
https://youtu.be/bLvOPJTlN1Q

[SwampDonkey]

Can't complain there. Down right convenient. Great shot and not far to lug his carcass.  ;D

[Den Socling]

Magicman, I made this post earlier on another computer. I said I found tails-only here. http://www.lacrawfish.com/Crawfish-Tails-C32.aspx I mentioned that I couldn't figure out how they could season live crawfish until I figured out that they would send a pack of seasoning with live crawdads.  :D  Then I said that we would have to try some since we can put a hurtin' on a tray of shrimp. Then I mentioned how much I love bacon wrapped shrimp. Then, as far as I know, I ran to the house for dinner and forgot to push "post".  :D

[Magicman]

I fully understand not being able to get crawfish in PA.  Here we are so close to South Louisiana that trucks make the trip daily to supply us with live crawfish, which by the way is how they are cooked.  Any dead crawfish are discarded before the basket is lowered into the boiling & seasoned water.  (Like Lobster)  The crawfish are boiled for a designated amount of time and then the cooker burner is turned off and the pot of crawfish is allowed to soak in the seasoned water for about a half hour.  The procedure would be radically different with only tails.

[WLC]

Here is one place that ships live crawfish:  http://www.lacrawfish.com/Default.aspx  Shipping is the deal breaker for me.

[Magicman]

After reading and watching the videos on those links, I see that live crawfish are available almost anywhere.   :P

[Den Socling]

Both those links, tails-only and live crawfish, are the same company. They ain't cheap!