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Well, I found another silver ingot at the mining camp. This one was a surface find while I was walking the 19th century townsite. Heavily oxidized and pocked with sediment, I recognized it was man made and the weight of the penny sized round made it worth soaking in vinegar and given a light brushing. Seemed like a curious weight. 12.77 grams of sterling. But when I did the math with the weight and silver values of the late 1800s, it hit me. The round would have been worth exactly 3 bits or .37 cents More proof the mining company was paying laborers in the very silver being extracted.

Does anybody fish Lake Mary?

Agreed on the right now aspect. I imagine this quota thing is a long term goal, maybe I'm wrong. I'm thinking that while archery gets closed down early bigger mature bucks out there are living and becoming studs. Not great for the OTC archery guys right now but I think that overall trophy quality will surely increase each year. Seems great for the rifle guys although I am not one. But I believe this will have a trickle effect for lack of better words and guys that play it right will start killing monsters if they put in the work in the following years. Whether that is archery or rifle. I can't believe that guys shutting down a unit early during archery that are shooting first come first serve animals are going to ruin it for the real killers out there. Honestly I see this as a huge opportunity for the guys that are willing to hunt hard and each year it will get better. But as usual I'm just another turd with a fraudulent opinion.

I was given permission to metal detect in an abandoned mining camp yesterday. Mostly tin cans and broken bottles were dug up but I did find one intact perfume bottle. I started finding where the crucibles from the assessors office were tossed and was hoping to find an intact one when I hit a good target. Wasn't attracted to a magnet, nor was the oxidation and crust rusty at all. Too big to be a coin and weighs exactly 2toz. Put it in acid and vinegar overnight. Tests out .925 silver. Why was it there in a 19th century dump? It's obviously been poured into a crude mold or crucible. Could the crucible have been tossed out with the silver still in it? Normally the crucibles are crushed and reran through the smeltering process because 100% of the mineral content is not poured out, leaving small amounts of precious metals behind. However it got there, this mine produced 250000 ounces of silver in its day. I can now account for two of those ounces.

Go in off that one road past the big tree by the rocks, and start hiking you butt off.

It would go something like be a man hunt mature animals. 🙄 wouldn't you and your friends have more time in the field if you hunted full size animals? Im just saying there are more people in the field now than ever. This lowers individual hunting hours as the masses increase, so overall hunting days for species increases. There is a way to keep harvest limits the same, increase age of harvest and increase hunting days in the field. It wouldn't be liked though. That is to designate rotating units traditional only. Archery would be traditional only, muzzleloaders no scopes and no inlines, and rifles be limited to say 9 power scopes. Do that for a couple of seasons and than go back to modern methods and after the initial complaining alot of hunters would be super excited To get that hiatus tag. I publicly shame two close friends and my dad(rip) for being meat hunters every chance I get and they do the same to me. I did shoot a spike elk this year. (More for the bones than the meat) I also shot a calf with dots 3 seasons ago. (It was hit by a car) After writing all this. Everyone will do what they want and should be proud.

In theory. Tough to do when the unit shuts down in 6 days and the unit gets pounded for those 6 days. Not exactly a great hunting experience. I don't necessarily need to kill the biggest deer but at this point in life hunting with tons of other people and whacking a spike off the road just doesn't do it for me. I say let people shoot what they want, I just don't like what the quota system has turned the hunt experience into. I'd rather have 2-3 weeks with less tag holders and more mature deer.

Joined 46 minutes ago and already asking for honey holes 🤣

I have 7# of Varget powder. I live in Gilbert. Chad 480-364-4008.

I never had any luck catching a big pike! That summer was so fun, first born on the way and great fishing!!! In that order 😂😂😂

You the man tim!

Just a suggestion but you can get a used Kowa for the same or less and it’s better

The trick is to wait till a week into season….

The goat meat is surprisingly good eating.

Nice find

"hunters not having self control...." You really think that a marketing campaign will lead to a lower number of mature bucks being killed?? My feeling is that hunters are going to shoot what they are going to shoot, and no marketing campaign is going to change that (At least not to a statistically significant extent...). My crew and I simply love to hunt. We sometimes kill some average/big deer, but we often kill smaller ones. It has nothing to do with self control. I don't consider myself a 'meat hunter', though I love the meat. I'm just a hunter. The insinuation that other hunters should hold off on killing smaller legal animals so they can maybe kill a larger legal animal is sort of funny to me. Like, what ever happened to; 'to each their own'?? Publicly shame someone who shoots a smaller legal animal? What is the point of that??? That will make a difference? LOL Your final statement makes more sense to me. Congrats to those who are out there having a great time hunting and sometimes killing! Regarding point restrictions, they did that a LONG time ago when I lived in Utah for college. Turned-out to not really have much of an effect on growing older aged animals. Just a bunch of small 3 points killed (3 point or better unit) and a bunch of two points shot and left to waste. Studies showed it really did not have an effect on the older class (breeding aged) bucks.

You wanting cash only or any trades? Got a few guns id consider parting with if your interested

I gave in several years ago and bought a pair of the Silent Sneakers. I used them once and they were a PIA. It took forever to get them on and I was watching the deer start to walk off. Then I just quit remembering to grab them, probably intentionally. I'm with oz31p. Just learn to walk softer and take your time.

Cheap Walmart beach shoe with carpet glued underneath

Should just go to draw only for NR

I dont mind the quota. Without it and without mandatory reporting, nobody knew how many deer were being taken. Unit 1 and 27 closed after the first week last yr as well. Everyone for the most part is road hunting and smashing the first legal buck they see. Im sure it was the same way before the quota.

The mountain with deer was socked in most of my hunt. We did get a nice Billy though.

9.9hp only works on a 12' and barely so. I've done a 25hp on a 14' with success having a light camp load and one other guy. I have a 40hp on a 16' and it works well with the boat at capacity. I have a buddy that runs a 35hp on his 16' and he is much slower upriver but it works. All tillers. While I do have a variety of kicker options, a bow mount 24v is key on my 16' at Lees and works well on any rim lake for a day unless the wind really kicks up. P.s. the trout are nothing like they used to be but the rest of the magic remains.

Freeze drying is 100% the way to go. Spend the extra $ it's worth it.

My son made a great shot on this Tom opening morning. It was fun to hear him gobble when he was really close, it was so loud you can almost feel it. He strutted for us for like 15 minutes. I was happy my son was patient and waited for the right opportunity and got a clean one shot kill. This is his third turkey and it is fun to see him get so excited. I am glad I get to share these hunts and memories with him each year.