Jump to content

solamente73

Legacy Members
  • Posts

    470
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by solamente73

  1. 4 hours ago, Ragde said:

    Deer population is lacking. Very few deer are being seen / harvested. We got this lease 3 years ago as some of us are new hunters and werent wanting to break the bank. In that 3 years between 6 hunters we've taken maybe 10 deer. The camera activity doesn't inspire much confidence either. 

    I feel you.  This might help narrow your search a bit:

    How many deer are in Texas? White-tailed deer populations listed by region

    My farm is in the Blackland Prairie region, which has the lowest deer population density in the state at 6% that of Edwards Plateau / Central Texas.  And people just shoot whatever they want when they want.

    I’m extremely fortunate to have as many deer as I’ve seen on camera, especially like those bellow.  I’ve decided not to take one this year, hoping against odds one will survive until next year.  Need to start killing some pigs, though.  Had a big sounder come through, tear up a field, and disappear (pic below is representative).

     

    image.jpeg

    image.jpeg

    image.jpeg

    • Hook 'Em 1
    • Like 1
  2. On 12/15/2021 at 8:21 AM, BabaYaga said:

    If budget is not an issue, then the easy choice is the OX ranch.  It's bananas.  Every game you can think of.  Tanks you can drive and fire.  Machine guns and cannons.  It's a big kids paradise.

    Ok, that place looks FUN.  Only 20 elk, though, and not quite the experience we are looking for (see below).  That said, talking with the guys, that would be a fun time for another species.  Gonna be a guys’ trip.

    On 12/15/2021 at 9:10 AM, 686 said:

    I’d strongly consider the UU Bar if you want mountains, low fence, top end elk, and price isn’t a factor. Their setup is top notch from what I’ve seen (200,000 acres, cabins at 10,000 feet with hot water, great elk herds). I talked with them at DSC a few years back. The DSC convention is Jan 6-9 if you want to go meet a lot of elk outfitters in person, it’s worth your time.

    On 12/15/2021 at 10:26 AM, 686 said:

    Here’s a floor plan of the DSC show, over 800 exhibitors.There will probably be well over 20 outfitters/ranches that offer elk hunting. Both the UU Bar and the Ox Ranch will be there, as well as many others. It’s a great way to see what the options are and figure out what you want. (Questions Like : Area, fence, class of animal (300” bull? 350” bull? 400” bull?), style of hunt (cabin, wall tent, horseback, backpack?), time of year/climate, etc.)

    Great idea, and thank you for reminding me about it.  I miss it every year because the craziness of the holidays plus starting up a new year keeps it off my radar much less top of mind.  UU Bar is an option and on the list.

    4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

    Always wanted to go to that.  Talk about a kid in a candy store.  @686 is spot on, it's a great opportunity to scout out various levels of hunting styles and opportunities.

    • Do you want a giant animal and essentially guaranteed kill?
    • Do you want guide?  No guide?  
    • Processing help?
    • Do you want essentially an organic hunt akin to public land where you have to hike in and hike out?

    Tons of options

    I’m treating this as my one and only elk hunt.  High probability of success on at least a medium rack bull.  Definitely guided.  Mountains.  Outside of Texas.  Can allocate 7-10 days.  Prices I’m seeing are higher than I expected, but don’t care.  I’m open to everything cabin/lodge to tent.  Horses or ATV/SxS plus hiking.  Help dressing and processing.  Though I’m already training for this trip, no desire to hike in and out, backpacking the whole way.

    DSC is a great idea, and it’s on my calendar.  Will report back.

    Thanks for the help, y’all.

     

    • Hook 'Em 2
    • Like 1
  3. 1 hour ago, crimsonlonghorn said:

    There are some vertical rifle holders mounted to the floorboard that are available that will hold an AR. I'd be interested in one of those. 

    I looked at those and they were very promising.  Just for me, though, with my Mule 4010 Trans, it would just take up too much room up front, so I passed.

    1 hour ago, crimsonlonghorn said:

    I like that too. Are the clamps just mounted directly onto the rear grill? Looks like it. 

    Yes, direct mount.  Easy as could be, very sturdy.  Just distance the clamps for whatever rifle you’ll be carrying.

    1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

    Yeah, I definitely need something that can mount and AR. I pretty much have a 300 BLK, Winchester 73, or a muzzleloader with me when i am riding around.

    I originally set out to find a way to carry an AR 30 rd I could quickly access from the driver’s seat.  I looked at every possible arrangement: mounted across the A pillars in front, overhead, vertical front floorboard, front seat, driver side B-pillar or C-pillar (but that would be custom), and all the bed solutions out there.  For about a month, I’d mock up what solutions I could and went about normal work, envisioning usability and utility.  Because of small cab size, I eliminated every option up front.  Side mount exposed the weapon to brush, etc. and inhibited ingress/egress.  So, I had to go with bed mount, and those clamps were easy to use and didn’t take up much space when I needed it in the bed.

    One drawback is that the rifle is exposed to the elements.  I’m usually not out in the rain, but I do have to bring it in at night so it’s not impacted by unexpected rain or heavy morning dew (insert joke here).  A solution for that would be a hard gun case and maybe a 10 round magazine, but more of a PITA to access quickly.

  4. What CHIEF recommends is solid, but I need all four seats - YMMV.  Works well in a 6 seater for sure.  I thought about overhead, but I’m too tall for comfort.  Had to go with bed mount.  Works reasonably well - I just glass the field before going through.  If I see anything of concern, I get out the rifle.  Quick enough access for me.

    https://www.kolpin.com/en-us/shop/accessories/gun-transport-carriers/rhino-grips/ratcheting/ratcheting-rhino-grip/?pfm=Browse

     

    image.jpeg

    • Hook 'Em 1
  5. Earned my divemaster certification at UT in the 90s.  Used to help teach students out at Lake Travis - Windy Point.  Holla to the SCUBA Club and Starnes Island.

    I’ve been fortunate to dive many places.  Did a lot of mud diving state-side, but of course the action is in the salt.

    Key Largo, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman, St. Lucia, Antigua, Barbados, St. Thomas, Bonaire, Curacao, Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Fiji, Mo’orea, Bora-Bora, Maui, Big Island, Eilat, Sharm El Sheikh.

    Wreck diving and wall diving rule.

    Have spent the last several years having kids, hunting, fishing, farming.  Once the boys are old enough, look out, I’m taking them to depth.  Can’t wait.

    Whale sharks...Truk... liveaboard... Those I think are on my bucket list.  GBR wouldn’t suck as part of an Australia/NZ trip.

    Love the stories in this thread.  Keep at it.  Nothing beats a 5 dive day (2 in AM, 2 in PM, 1 night) followed by fresh seafood and an ice cold local beer (or rum drink).

     

    • Hook 'Em 2
  6. Not sure where else to ask, so asking here.  Would appreciate any recommendations.  

    When my father retired, his staff presented him with a Weatherby Mark V chambered in .300 Weatherby Magnum, complete with a Zeiss scope.  The plan was for him to go elk hunting with it.  Sadly, cancer took him before he ever shot it.

    Fast-forward 29 years.  Along the way, I had the rifle reworked by a master gunsmith to restore it from when I was young and unable to keep it stored properly.  See pic below.

    My objective is to hunt a bull elk in fall 2022 using that rifle.  My initial thought is a guided hunt in New Mexico or Colorado, but I’m open.  Don’t want to have to do a lottery - looking for a guaranteed hunt, so I assume private land.  Two hunters.  Budget not an issue.

    Thanks in advance for any and all insight.

    image.jpeg

    • Hook 'Em 3
    • Like 1
  7. +rep to many upthread... I grew up on CFS at Cottonwood in La Grange while fishing Fayette County Lake, and when living in Austin, I could walk to Hyde Park B&G for a righteous CFS with Hyde Park fries.

    The old Pappy’s Cafe in Houston had a great CFS and CFS sammich, but The Mason Jar (RIP) reigned supreme.

    I’m heading to Port O’Connor this weekend for duck season re-opening weekend.  Can’t wait for Josie’s to fry up the ducks we shoot.  Not pictured is very good cream gravy.

     

    image.jpeg
     

    Edit: QE is duck hunting near Cleburn?  It’s karma.

     

    • Hook 'Em 2
  8. 5 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

    For a general hunting boot, Bean Boots might be a better option if you are looking for something that doesn't look like a cowboy boot.

    This right here, especially if around mud and water.  I spend a lot of time on the Texas coast, at my farm in northeast Texas, and in southeastern Mobilhoma.  Lots of mud and water.  I can wear my 12” all day, day after day, in comfort.  Uninsulated because, well, just doesn’t get cold enough and more versatile.  Order with hooks - this is critical
     

    Way more useful/versatile than Muck boots IMO.

     

    image.jpeg

  9. On 5/31/2020 at 2:05 PM, blacklab said:

    Try clearing your cache and if you can your cookies for surly.

    I had to go to non-private browsing and accept cookies on this new iOS to get it to work (for years I’ve been private browsing and no accepting cookies).  Also, I noticed that the usual drop down login isn’t happening; it just redirects to a full login page.  Not my area of expertise; just providing data points in case it helps.

  10. Can't log in using Safari Private Browsing - iOS 13.4.1* - iPad Pro.  Keep getting error code 2S119/1

     

     

    *While drunk a night or two ago Apple tricked me into "updating" to this iOS and it completely sucks (by tricked I mean I thought I was telling it "no" on the update but was really saying "yes"... sneaky bastards).  Mail, websites, everything take forever to load and Surly just says fuck off.

  11. 4 hours ago, victory88 said:

    I just opened my dental office about 4-5 months ago.  We’re essentially a startup.  We’re rescheduling everyone.  Some people are getting pissed and refusing to reschedule some of their surgeries and appts.

    As a startup in my field, it takes 6-7 months to reach break even point.  If this thing spreads and we need to close for 2-4 weeks, I cannot afford to pay my staff.  Our overhead is almost 30k a month as a startup.  I have enough working capital in my business account to survive 4 months if I cut all our marketing, 3rd party services, don’t pay myself, and let some people go.  I cannot imagine other small businesses that don’t have enough capital to survive more than a month.  Landlords still want their rent, banks still want their loan payments, staff still wants their hours and pay.  Lots of people are going to be severely affected by this.   
     

    Even the banks are freaking out.  My banker called me Friday asking me if I needed more credit to get through this.  If these small businesses default on their loans... 

     

    Best thing right now is if they fed gov allows everyone to freeze their loan payments temporarily with no interest accruing.  If landlords don’t have to temporarily pay their mortgage, they can hold off on rent for a month or two so these businesses don’t go under.  I don’t have a damn solution but I know my office can survive 3-4 months before we run out of money.   

    V88, our practice will turn 10 in December - we hope.  We were about to ink the deal on a new multi-million $ office.  2020 was going to be ‘our year.’  Now it’s pure survival mode.

    Against all advice from CPAs and everyone else, I’ve always hoarded cash in the business for a ‘rainy day,’ which I always thought would be incapacitation of our talent.  Instead, it’s coronavirus.  For the last month we’re been cutting costs like crazy.  Now, if we let go all staff and cut all non-loan/rent/utility expenses, our business can probably, technically, survive a year, but we are without a doubt the 1% exception.  Our family can live off savings for a while, but most of our staff are not that fortunate.

    Praying for you and all business owners and staff who not only have to face Coronavirus but also financial ruin.

     

    • Like 6
  12. A couple of Saturdays ago, we woke up to it snowing up here in DFW.  Kids went nuts.  I needed chili, so I decided to make some with what I had on hand. 

    spacer.png

    spacer.png

    Chili and frito pie for a few days.  Makes for a good New Years cleanse. 

    • Like 4
  13. Holy shit.  We’re planning our annual trek to Galveston, so I thought I’d get caught up on this thread in preparation.  Talk about a kick in the balls - Champ, so sorry to learn that you’ve closed.  Finally making it to your place was going to be the highlight of my trip.  My young boys would have absolutely have destroyed several Yabba Dabba Do plates.

    In the Texas BBQ thread, I asked for help airlifting some Texas BBQ to my best friend, an ex-pat Texan living in San Diego, who was fighting cancer.  Champ stepped in to offer help.  Though we never executed that project, I really appreciated the offer and was really looking forward to meeting him and trying his food in person.

    Champ, best of luck and please don’t give up - Texas needs you.

  14. 14 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

    I don’t, but then again I was a history major.

     

    12 minutes ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

    There was history then?

    He wrote the Book of Genesis for his senior thesis - because he was there.

×
×
  • Create New...