TBow

I tried making some homemade lighted nocks too, but the dang extension cord kept slowing the arrows down, plus they pulled out of the plugin after 30 feet or so. Oh well, back to the drawing board! TBow

I got there shortly after 9:00 a.m. and we were on the road by 12:00 noon. I'm just an hour away. Had I known I was going in advance, I'd have posted something so we might have been able to link up. But c'est la vie I guess. I might try and go to the Perth gun show next weekend, but my fish & game club just asked me tonight to help out next weekend and volunteer to chainsaw some trails for their upcoming outdoor 3D shoot. No sure yet how schedules are going to work out. I'll be taking some trinkets to swap and barter with next week though if I go. I've got 3 shotgun reloaders (12, 20 and .410) that I'm trying to deal and a few other toys, so that ought'a be fun. Geoff / TBow

I am probably registered in about 10 or so (not exactly sure). There are two that I frequent on a regular basis and both are great family safe sites. It's this one and HuntingResource.com. I have seen a few members that co-frequent these two sites as well. The other forums that I belong to are sites that I was required to register on in order to post questions and get responses back on my queries. I really don't post on them regularly, but I do from time to time pop in to see just see what's going on. I registered on a couple archery sites (one traditional stuff mostly) as I was doing a refurbish project on an old recurve and required some decals and advice on doing some repairs. They were also great people on that site. Then I posted on an atv site to get some instructions and help on working on my argo and my son's Poliaris 4wheeler. Good info there too. I registered on a couple gun oriented sites to get some info on a couple guns I have. No shortage of helpful stuff there as well. Of all the sites that I am registered on, there is only one that sometimes can be combative at times. I am extremely careful posting there to ensure my comments or observations aren't taken out of context. However, if you weed through the confrontational comments that linger from time to time, there is also a great wealth of knowledge held by the members there, but it is imperative that you need to be thick skinned at times and apply selective hearing / reading as well! RT and HR - thumbs up to both! TBow

I hadn't really planned it, but on a last minute invite, I headed out this morning to attend the Carp Gun & Sportsman Show. After touring the four various buildings, I realized I should have brought a few old goodies that I had at home in order to make some trades or for barter. I didn't buy anything, but enjoyed seeing what was on display and for sale. I did see one crossbow with a pink camo stock and two shotguns with pink camo as well.....that was just plain wrong and sacreligeous in my opinion! I was on the lookout as well for some guy that might have been wearing a GM ball cap from Arnprior that frequents this here website, but alas, he may have been there, but I either couldn't recognize him or our paths just didn't cross. TBow

The Tim Horton's here at home ran out of medium r-r-r-r-r-roll up the rim cups, so I have been forced to buy large. Haven't won a thing since I started this large journey. Funny thing though, since I started drinking large coffees, I am unable to get to sleep at nights now and spending more time on the 'ol computer! :bang: Dangnabbit! TBow

Seven months ago when I retired, there were a few things I swore I'd never do, but today one of my worst fears came to pass. The weather had predicted rain for today, so I hadn't planed on working outside, hence I made no preparations. Well the weather although cool, had no precipitation, but my awaiting jobs continued to wait as I had no materials with which to tackle them. So there I was stranded at home with nothing to do. So just in an effort to fill the time I did what I swore I'd only so in a dire emergency. That's right, I started sorting and organizing the nuts and bolts cache in my workshop! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :wacko:! Well at least there was one small concellation to my afternoon's activity. I was able to stave off any urges to place the hardware assortments into glass jars and screw them onto lids attached to the botton of my shelves! Red Green says that's a sure sign of getting old! TBow

Thanks Steve. I just looked at my old tripod that I have here at home. It had been my intension to use the camera mount swivel head and I had even thought about using the tripod's square legs as the arms. I thought the legs were square tubing, but I see now that they are 'C' channel in a light guage metal, so twisting looks like it'd be a problem. I was gon'na try to use teflon spacers/washers between the arms at the pivot points with stainless hardware and locknuts to secure those points. I've got a few ideas floating around in my head for the tree mount. One is to use a mounting plate with a strong ratchet strap as I have a few kicking around. I found 6 old tripods on a public auction site that will likely go for about $75 or so for the whole lot. I even looked up swivel heads on ebay and see that I can get a cheap version for about $15 each. It's just a home project to keep me busy. Like I need more work what with all the honey-do's that the bride already has planned for me! TBow

I was just wondering if anyone had ever built a camcorder tree mount? I don't mean for a trail monitor camera system. I mean a mount system for a camcorder so you can videotape your hunts from your tree stand while hunting. There are several types on the market and you can drop as much as a few hundred bucks for cadilac units such as the Hunter's Cam Cradle and I've seen a few units in Cabela's for under $50. I've got a chance at buying half a dozen used camera tripods and figured I could use the parts to build a few systems. Any suggestions or pitfalls in trying to use tripod parts? TBow

Well I ordered my new lawn tractor today. It's a Craftsman GT5000, 26 hp, 54" cut with a Briggs & Stratton V-Twin. The engine has cast steel cylinder liners, OHVs and an external spin-off oil filter. Rear tires are 23" and is the hydrostatic drive automatic version, not the manual 6-Speed. I got it at Sears Canada. The only way I could have gotten that model with the Kohler (which would have been my preference) was to head stateside and get it at Sears USA. They had the exact same tractor stateside, but with the 26 hp Kohler. It just would have meant a little more paperwork and having to pay the NY state sales tax and PST and GST taxes at Canada Customs, plus the hassle if I ever had to get warranty work done. But it should be here next wednesday, so grass beware! TBow

I've looked at the propane water heaters, but just never took the plunge (pun intended). I heat water in a pot on the stove then mix it with cold water in one of those black plastic solar shower bags. I put a small pulley and rope in a small tree and pull the shower bag up to about 6 or 7 feet. It has a shower head spout with a squeeze on/off clip. I find I am far more comfortable in a sleeping bag after having a shower and get a better night's sleep. I've done the "dive into a cold northern lake" in October to wash up and nearly lost the two boys and their chaperone. Talk about shrinkage! :jaw: Couldn't find them for nye on two days 'till things warmed up!

Oh man! I've had: Wing wooden longbow Ben Pearson fibreglass SuperJet recurve Browning Explorer I recurve Browning Folding Hunter recurve Browning Fury I recurve Bear Custom Kodiak T/D recurve Bear Super Magnum 48 recurve Ben Pearson 'Ol Ben 5000 longbow Bear Alaskan 6Wheel compound Darton WH300 compound Browning Safari compound Onieda Eagle compound Bear Alaskan 2Cam compound Jennings Woody compound PSE Polaris compound Mathews Q2XL compound I've probably had a couple others but really can't remember what they were. I'd say the bow that I had the most fun with was the Wing longbow, because I was only 10 to 12 years old at the time. Everytime I headed out into the fields with it, it was like an adventure all over again. I'd hunt everything from grasshoppers to toads to any groundhogs stupid enough to stay up for me to make a stock on and get a shot at. TBow

I've got Shaw (Star Choice). I think your only two legal choices in Canada are Bell ExpressVu and Shaw Direct (Star Choice). If you have Bell telephone, internet, cell phone. etc., you can bundle the sat dish and get $5 off each I think. I started paying Star Choice about $66 a month nine years ago I think. It gradually increased until I was paying $102 per month, so I called to cancel to get Bell ExpressVu. Shaw (Star Choice) reworked my packages to drop my monthly fee to $72 per month. Bell is just as expensive and they both work their packages so you can't get everything you want in one or two packages. They know what they're doing to scam us all. One thing I hate about both Bell and Shaw, is that they are regulated by the CRTC with regards to Canadian content. And to be quite honest, most Canadian movies, sitcoms and series are pretty much crap in my opinion. If I could wangle a US Direct or DishNet system, that's the route I'd take, but you got'ta be careful cause they're like a pirated system in Canada I think. I knew a lot of friends who had the free-to-air systems, but they crashed like you said quite a while ago and I haven't heard about anyone getting it back on line. You're legally not allowed to do this, but I've heard about relatives or neighbors going in together to pay for a single system with up to a maximum of six receivers and they have to buy as many dishes as houses they have them at, but they only pay one monthly bill collectively. I asked Bell about doing that and they just laughed. They said yes some people do that, but aren't legally allowed. TBow TBow

Buckee - 7C 1D Muff - Shaun_300 - 7C 3D Tbow - 12 C drkillemquick - 1C 1D Trigger - 2C 2D Tetro - 1C

Oh! Oh! Just think of all the confusion and commotion it'll create when you step out the back door and yell your dogs name out to call her home. Virtually every neighbor within earshot who has a tree in their back or front yard will be panicking, not to mention the heart palpatations it'll give any retired lumberjacks living near by! TBow

Buckee - 7C 1D Muff - Shaun_300 - 7C 3D Tbow - 12 C drkillemquick - 1C 1D Trigger - 2C 2D One more cafe au lait. TBow

All three of the planned events are in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, so unfortunately this here Ontario boy can't make it, but it looks like a great show. Have a great time and report back how it went. TBow

Shaun, I've heard others tell me they were immune to the stuff and would even go so far as to grab a plant and appear to wash their hands in it to display their immunity. Then like a bolt of lightning, one time the immunity didn't work and they were hit harder than most. I know you like fishing the Ottawa river, but it's home to a good many islands and shorelines plastered with poison ivy. For example, Aylmer Island just off Aylmer is virtually laden with the stuff. One of my workers was out there quite a few years ago and had to relieve himself and merely grabbed some leaves to assist in the clean up. Needless to say it was a handfull of poison ivy and he couldn't sit for the next two weeks. Geoff

I can appreciate being torn between wanting another puff and wanting to quit. Here's what my dad did to encourage himself to quit (2nd hand smoke wasn't factored into needing to quit back in the 50s and 60s like it is today): First he'd calculate how much he spent on cigarrettes in a year. Then he'd decide just what kind of toys he'd like to buy that were within reason. Then he'd go to the bank and take out a loan to pay for the new choosen toy. The payments never exceeded in a year what he used to pay for smokes. He bought himself a fishing boat and motor one year and another year he bought a couple high-end shotguns. We even made a hunting trip to Saskatchewan one year paid for by a smokeless year. Unfortunately my dad became chronically ill and would periodically revert back to the old habit to calm his shattered nerves, only to revisit the quitting smoking habit once again....over and over. He finally quit for good in 1984 at the age of 54. I've visited his gravesite every year since. TBow

Of the reviews that I've read thus far, I have seen a couple comments about the Kohler V-twins not functioning well on slopes as it tends to burn or leak oil, otherwise fairly good rating and ample power. I think most of these riding lawn mowers use what is called the Kohler Courage model. Some have indicated the Kohler Command Pro series of engines may have been a better choice of power plant to use, but then again, the Command Pro series are far more expensive. I've got an 18 hp Kohler Magnum twin in my 1984 argo and it's pretty much bullet proof except for the throttle governor which is a little tempermental. I've contemplated swapping it out for a Kohler 25 hp Command Pro, but those engines alone are worth $2500 plus. The Briggs and Stratton are twin cylinder O/H valve units. The plus about the Briggs is that they have mucho experience in small engines, and parts and service are readily available. The reviews are much the same as with the Kohlers, and are all over the board with regards to good and bad. Most people I've talked to say MTD makes 75+% of most small riding lawen mowers anyways, so their take on them is, "They're all the same"!. I really didn't get a lot of positive comments about John Deere. Most reviews indicated all you were paying for was the green and yellow paint job. If you really want a Deere, then you better be prepered to go the $10+K route to get a real JD. Craftman at Sears is leading my reviews thus far as they have quite a line up of options and they have the two various power plants to choose from in a variety of power ranges. Plus, you really can't go wrong with a Sears warranty. I can buy a riding lawn mower stateside and save almost $500 plus and what with the cdn dollar expected to hit parity with the U$ greenback this week, my buying power goes even further right across the border. As I live right on the border, the trip to the land of the red, white and blue is even less than a hop, skip and a jump. Still, I'd like to keep my purchases here at home if the retailers can be competative, but a buck is a buck to this here retiree. Thanks for all your feedback. As I said, it looks like it's going to be a Craftsman, I just haven't decided on what engine to choose. TBow

I recall as a young bow watching my dad burn up almost 2-1/2 to 3 packs a day. I witnessed his battles to continually try and quit and his struggles to fight "The Urge" to grab just one more for that settling puff that inevitably led to the next binge. I congratulate you on your battle thus far. Stay true to your cause and your family. And to all of those who never ever picked up a cigarrette, congratulations on never starting and for what has likely been the smartest decision you have ever made. TBow

I'm not sure about some of the medications, but you would be wise to ask your doctor about side effects of some of them mentioned. Prednisone, although can work miracles, has its own nasty effects that you should be aware of first before taking it orally. I have gotten poison ivy about half a dozen times in my life, and hope I never get it again. It doesn't affect everyone exactly the same. While some have claimed immunity to it and brag about that fact, it can sometimes hit them harder when it does finally penetrate their immune force field. For me, it seems to affect me worse everytime I get it. Typically it lasts about 1 month in the effected areas and can spread like wildfire all over your body. Doctors seem to be most concerned about it getting on the face and groin areas. Not that it causes any more problems in those locals, it's just that it creates more problems for the victim what with wanting to constantly scratch those areas and the embarrasement of being in public. The best remedy for poison ivy for me was exposure to dry air. Oh ya I used the calomine lotion and also the cortisone creme. Don't cover the effected area such as with cloth wraps as it will only keep the oozing sores spreading it under the wrap. Showers and baths will also spread it. Well at least it did for me. The last time I got it, I knew it was in the locale that I was cutting grass, so I wore rubber boots, paper painters' coveralls, work gloves and a full face mask respirator. I forgot to duct tape the glove's gauntlets to the coveralls and negated to pull the coverall's hood over the face mask. The pollin from the poison ivy became airborne when I was cutting it and landed on any exposed skin such as around my wrists and back of my neck. You could actualy see poison ivy breakout at the lines from the elastic coveral bands around the wrists and neck. Within one week it was covering over half of my body with some eventual spreading and oozing sores almost 3" wide by12" long. Nasty! Nasty! Nasty! Doctors are more concerned with infection from the sores and the eventual scratching you will inevitably do. One double edged sword that gave me both relief and grief was hot showers on the effected areas. Water as hot as you could take seemed to feel like the itch was being scratched, but then again I believe it aided in spreading the darn stuff. Dry air, exposure to sunlight, loose fitting clothing, some calomine lotion, time and learning to identify the dadgum dangblasted weed have been my cures......the latter remedy being the ounce of prevention to alleviate the need for the first five treatments. Oh ya, I've been told that everytime you get it, it seems to affect you to a greater degree with the next time you come into contact with it. Not sure if it's true for everyone, but it sure hit the nail on the head in my case(s). And if you have any clothing, utility tools or even lawnmowers or whipper snippers that have been used while working in a locale with poison ivy plants, you would be wise to wash all in hot water and soap before using them again or else the nightmare could start all over again. TBow

I'm in the process of buying a riding lawn mower for the first time ever and have been doing a lot of browsing on the internet to check on prices, availability and consumer reviews. I've determined that most of the lawn "tractors" (and I use the term tractor very loosely in this reference) are really nothing more than glorified lawn mowers and most brands provide a product to compete in the lower end market (prices $1000 to $3000). To really get into a commercial grade or multi-use implement, you have to range into the $7K to $15K domain for what they refer to as estate units and $15K plus to get the real toys. I'm just looking at the under $3K versions. A lot of the units I've seen use either a Kohler or Briggs & Stratton engine. The consumer reviews are pretty much all over the place with regards to engine feedback. I was just wondering what experience or observations any of you have had with these two types of power plants. Right now I've got it narrowed down to either a Craftsman or a Cub Cadet, in the 25 hp / 54" deck width range. TBow

Buckee - 7C 1D Muff - Shaun_300 - 6C 3D Tbow - 11 C drkillemquick - 1C 1D Oh oh! One more! You guys are gon'na start thinkin' I bought myself a pair of those x-ray glasses from the back of the magazine "For Men Only" allowing me to pick and choose my cups! :shifty: TBow

Buckee - 7C 1D Muff - Shaun_300 - 6C 3D Tbow - 10 C drkillemquick - 1C 1D One more. And apparently my wife has been holding out on me too. In the evenings we like to go for a drive. First stop is to Timmies to pick up a coffee for the tour. I guess she's won a few times on coffees that I bought her and didn't tell me, but I won't count them. TBow

Buckee - 7C 1D Muff - Shaun_300 - 6C 3D Tbow - 9 C drkillemquick - 1C 1D I'm now at 9 coffees. While at Tim Horton's today, I even found a Win A Donut rim that someone had dropped, but I'm not counting that one. I gave it away. TBow