whiskey

Welcome from a Franklin Co native, currently in Clarksville. "So he cocked both his pistols, spit in the dirt, and walked out in to the street."

You aren't required to wear orange unless you are hunting big game. However, there are some WMA's that do require it as part of their rules. Also, it's really unsafe, borderline negligent, to not wear orange during big game gun season. Even backpackers, , horseback riders, and mountain bike riders are encouraged to wear orange during gun seasons. I have skipped the vest when hunting private property for small game during deer season, but I wore an orange hat. Now I have an orange upland bird vest so that's what I wear. BTW, never noticed it to spook squirrels, rabbits, or quail. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes sir. A St Pete 221. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, it's that time of the year. A warm pipe by the fireplace with a dose of whiskey. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I suggest cooking it at around 225-250 if you can run your pit that low. Also, don't try to cook it till it's fall of the bone tender like pork, it will be very dry. We cook to 150 internal, then pull it to rest and let the temp rise to 160 or so. You have to slice it, but it's way tastier in my opinion. I haven't cooked much lamb, but I imagine that is very similar. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've chosen the Banes Vortex as well. I chose it for a multi purpose hunting round for coyote and deer. Also, my gun really likes it. I wish it was a little cheaper. :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your better bet would be Bear Hollow WMA. Bark Camp is pretty small. Never Hunted Normandy. There is another one in Wichester, maybe Owl Hollow? It's along Tims Ford lake. There is decent hunting at AEDC, worth trying for the draw next year. I think they have non quota archery hunts too, that's how I used to hunt it. LBL is worth researching too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  Yeah, that guy... I got a story too. Someone told me he had been moved to another county. 

Sometimes state zones aren't applicable within the WMA. From what I found on Catoosa in the book, page 56, it looks like those are drawn hunts and it defines what may be taken. The only thing I see open this weekend is a ML hunt for the 19-22nd and its 1 bonus buck which means it doesn't count against your state 2 buck limit. 

I heard today that the game warden stopped by the local processor looking for a guy that had checked in 3 deer this year. I guess he hasn't heard either!!!!

I have decided I am too lazy to hunt anymore. Being the last day of ML season I decided I would take my ML to work with me today and attempt an afternoon hunt after work. Well as soon as I got off work I see two does feeding towards the spot I was going to hunt. I slipped down there and watched them feed about 60 yards away. Decided I didn't want to clean a deer or my ML tonight so I just came home. I am a sad excuse for a hunter. LOL

I hunted yesterday and saw lots of deer. Several doe with yearlings and a small 6 and a small 8, but no sightings of the deer that is rubbing the trees the size of my waist. I'll be paitient and hope he shows up. Congrats to all the folks taking deer. 

I had a good opening morning. Saw over a dozen deer. Had a doe, yearling and 6 point under me first thing. Passed on them. I saw something I had never seen before. Several hen turkeys came past me and one hen gobbled. It was a softer gobble, but it was a gobble.   Changed stands around 7:30 and saw 2 shooter bucks cross the corn field 1000 yards away. I moved to get along the ridge they were headed towards. I made it there and set up just a few minutes before they got there. Unfortunately they were in the thick stuff and didn't offer a shot. I walked a bit and walked up on two other smaller bucks. One was making a scrape at 9:30am. I walked within 50 yards of him before he noticed me. Finally raised his head and he wasn't a shooter either.    We are covered up in rubs and scrapes. The farmer is cutting corn now, so hopefully will get to "see" more deer.    I went back this afternoon, but only saw one doe. I did see a gang of turkeys, around 40 or 50 and several longbeards. About sunset they went to making a helluva lot of noise before going to roost. I got to find a different evening spot. I can't hunt around those noisey things. I couldn't hear a dang thing for 45 minutes. 

  Naw, I just add a SIg Arm Brace. :)

This year, I show no mercy. [URL=http://s75.photobucket.com/user/whiskey101/media/50cal.jpg.html][/URL]

Just practice good hook management. Dogs seem to find those treble hooks. Sent from my iPhone

My buddy and I took our wives to the shooting range and rented every small 9mm and .380 they had. This was a sizable list of guns including most of the ones mentioned above, but a few more. We let the ladies shoot compact and subcompact and micro. My wife, who is recoil sensative, chose the 9mm Shield. My buddy's wife chose the .380 LCP. She liked the Shield, but wanted something smaller. If possible, take your wife to the range and let her try a few.    I recently traded for a Shield in .40SW and the recoil isn't as bad as I expected. Very managable. 

Well I don't fish Old Hickory, but I woud bet that the big fish jumping in the middle of the lake are rockfish. I grew up on Tims Ford and it is full of them. They chase the shad schools and we would catch them on large white jigs.    Also, I would bet the larger panfish are deeper than you are fishing if you are only catching small ones. Just a hunch. 

Awesome. Let us know how you like it.

I fished a cane pole as a kid too. Probably why I love Tenkara. :)

Did not make it to Jakes Creek. Maybe next time. It's on my list. These new floating tents sleep so well . :)

I don't mind sending you mine to try out. It doesn't take much practice to learn to cast. The learning curve for me is in understating trout's feeding behavior and learning the good water from the time wasted water. The fly fishing shop in West End, across from Hatti B's carries some Tenkara rods and lines. I ordered mine online, then saw them in that shop.

I took this week off work and decided to spend my vacation in the Smokies, backpacking and fishing. I am sworn to secrecy on the backcountry fishing spots, but I also fished the middle prong of The Little Pigeon and the Pigeon below Big Creek with some success. The best fun was catching brookies in the head waters of the backcountry streams. I got into Tenkara fishing last year. It's basically a fixed line, ultralight fly fishing that works well with backpacking. I took zero fish pic due to my fear of dropping my phone in the river, but I did take some scenery shots. Weather was great and I had a wonderful 6 days in the mountains. I spent a few night backcountry and a few front country. All were great in the hammock.

When I was a kid, my grandfather and I would set rabbit boxes in his garden. He would let me build the boxes and set them. He wouldn't eat rabbit in warm months, so we always just released them on the back of his property. He ran beagles, so he wanted rabbits around, just not in the garden.