Well now folks its been a spell since I posted and I'll apoligize fer that right now. But I do stop in and read as often as time permits!! As I've mentioned before it's huntin' season and I'm spending all the time I kin outdoors. So far a fat doe has been added to the freezer but not much else. At present it's Flintlock Season and I'm spending a lot of time crouched inn'a treestand overlooking a wasteland with Carol Anne laying across my knees. Uhhh..Carol Anne..my ca. 1630 Dutch fowler..flintlock...62cal. smoothbore. Nuthin' kinky goin' on here! Recent flooding rains have transformed my huntin' spot into a large lake..deer has been "noticably absent"!! On the brighter side...the sunrises have been spacktackular! (sp.??) And I'm over-run with "limb-bacon"..otherwise known to ya'll Yankees as squirrels. Fact is I've never seen so many squirrels in all my born days. I'm about 2 steps from swapping out a roundball and loading up shot in this gun and waylaying some squirrels instead. Now lemme tell ya'll a yarn....happened on Jan. 1st. and I'll fill my pipe an be right back. Audie..the Oldfart..

 

Okey-Dokey...so it's the new year...Jan. 1st. and the sun won't be risin' for a spell but I'm headin' down yonder to the crick to perch in my treestand. I'd sure like to git 1 "hamburger deer" yet this year! I loaded up Carol Anne and me an her was slippin' down the hill....20 degrees and a hard frost on the ground. I found the trail that leads along the crick and was slippin' along quiet-like...wearin' my new ghillie-suit and....yeah...a ghillie-suit....and about 20yds. from my treestand something erupted in the early morning quiet. Limbs commenced to snappin' off and I'm bug-eyed and reaching for the hammer and Carol is rising to my shoulder...and *^%#!!!! I should'a been lookin' UP instead of in front of me! I swiveled my head jest in time to see a HUMONGOUS gobbler trying to launch off a limb not 20ft. above my head!! Yup....a 25lb'r at least! His beard hung down like rope! Wings flailing trying to git enough air under 'em to launch...FLAP!FLAP!FLAP! Folks this is the same gobbler that's plagued me for the past 3 years. He always catches me off-guard and inevitably roosts right o'er my head! BUT..this time he made a mistake. Mistake #1..he's havin' trouble gittin' airborn! Mistake #2..he's sillowetted (sp.??) against the dawn sky! Mistake #3..he's only 20ft. away!! I'm swingin' that long (42in.) barrel in his direction and put that brass front sight right in the midst of his briskit and takin' all the slack out'a the trigger....and in 7/100's of a second I'm about to strike flint to steel and send him right into the oven! And then...an epihany. More to come...Audie..swabbing his eyes and groaning...

 

It's not turkey season. Bawhhhhhh! I've got that bird daid to rights...I can drop him like a sack-a-taters and all I have to do is put another 2 ounces of pull on that trigger and PFFT...BAWHOOM! He's RIGHT THERE....perched on the end of my barrel!! And I figger I owe him at least one....mebbe more! (big sigh...lots of remorse...definatly some regret...) I watched as he finally gained some altitude and sailed off for parts unknown..and lowered the hammer and dropped the gun to my side. I stood there contemplating my desire..and no small wrath..and grinned. "Spring Gobbler Season is coming in May... you +++++!" (small pointy things on roses..) For now it was enough to know that I could'a....mebbe should'a. And in my younger outlaw days..would'a! I watched the sunrise that day..the horizon turning from blue-black to shades of salmon-pink..and then the warm yellow as the sun finally crested the horizon. The crick beside me runs cold and makes a shhhhushing sound as the ice forms on the edges. At 8:15a.m. the big male mink waddles by..unaware of my presence. Squirrels scurry about and a flock of resident Canadas fly low enough for me to almost touch. No deer that day..but it didn't matter. It was a good day..the perfect day to start the new year. Audie...the Oldfart...

 

Happy New Year Audie. I'll get the fixins ready and you can bring that big gobbler to the Carlisle meet. You can recount the story as we chomp down on BBQ turkey.

 

Great story Audie - made me feel like I was sittin' right next to you.

 

hey Audie, ya got to load up one of them Ruger single six's with some 22's fer them there tree rats!!
it'll give ya somethin to do while you're waitin fer Bambie's daddy to come over your way!!

 

Well naw TJ funny you should mention that! See not long ago I bought me one of them Ruger Single Six's with just that thought in mind. BUT...they's a catch! See when huntin' in Flintlock Season I don't have to wear no "hunter orange"...which is a good thing when trying to outsmart a deer wi' a 380yr. old flintlock. Mind ye...I believe in fair-chase an ethics. I figger if I'm using a gun that old they ayre gittin' all the chances they ayre gonn'a git. BUT...if I'm packin' the Ruger I have to wear "hunter-orange" since now I'm also hunting small game..and the rules ayre different. Kinda' negates the value of the ghillie suit..eh? (Camo head-to-toe and a bright orange hat&vest over top of it all.) Now TJ..the other problem is...I....ahem.... have to be a "bit discreet" in the area I'm huntin' and not draw too much attention. (As in dressed in bright clothing.) Now..not that I'm doin' anything illigle...I ain't.....well..I might be a bit close to the main road. And... there's posted signs hereabout and I'm crowdin' the edge a bit. That's all I'm saying. Next week when Flintlock season is over....I'm breaking out the .22 and "doin' a Ma. Bell" on them squirrels. (reach out and touch someone!) Audie...enter quietly...leave no tracks..return with vittles...

 

yup. there ain't nothin wrong with reachin out an touchin a tree rat with a cci stinger!!


hell, i pick them offa the garage roof with a pelet gun. but you didn't here that from me!!