TBow

My brother-in-law and I headed out on the 22nd to put out some corn near our stands. There were a ton of tracks around. Then we went out the afternoon of the 23rd and spent a couple hours on stand. I had 10 deer all around me the last half hour, but were all does and fawns, so I passed on all available shots. Still hoping for a buck. My brother-in-law saw nothing, but we hope to make it our tomorrow morning if all goes well. This is the first time I've ever put corn out, and next year the rumor is that no baiting will be allowed in Ontario. I believe it has to do with CWD. I think you'd get as good a response from the deer if you knocked down a few small cedars and laid them near your stand. Funny how their diets change with the seasons. TBow

I received from RangerClay, a decorative antler mounted bowl and a bottle of his home grown vino. Last night at my family's xmas party, my kids were teasing me about the wine that had RC's kids pictures in front of a xmas tree on it. They asked me if I had a secret family that I hadn't told them about! LOL! I had to explain to them about my Realtree friends and all the great people I've met here. Muchos gracias mi amigo (That's from watching too much Sesame Street with my kids and Clint Eastwood movies) Merci beaucoup mon ami Thanks Joe! I hope you and your family had a very merry and safe Christmas and wishing you all the best in the new year. TBow

I agree 100%. Forgot that show when I listed my picks. TBow

My satilite provider only carries WildTV, so I am not privy to shows like Realtree, so really can't say one way or the other about ALL hunting shows. Of those that I get, (and this is in no particular order) I like Archer's Choice. Ralph and Vicki have that whole Sunny and Cher bantering thing going on and they do it quite well. I get a kick out of Tim Wells on Relentless Pursuit. I watch Primos' Truth About Hunting and all the guys in that show, Fred Eichler and just about anything he's in. I like Hal Shockey and sometimes watch that son of his....what's his name! (LOL! Obviously you can see a pattern here with regards to shows that keep it light.) I've always had a great respect for Dave Watson and try to catch him in anything he's involved with. Charlie Alsheimer in Deer and Deer Hunting is a no BS kind'a show and I really like the informative format of the show. I'm sure I've missed a show ot two, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind. TBow

WOAAAAA! Deja vu! Been there! Done that! Ain't a gon'na do it ever agin! TBow

My favorite christmas carol (song) is the one that's playing on any other radio station other than the country station that I usually have on. Sorry if I sound like Scrouge, but listening to Alvin and the Chipmunk type of xmas music on my favorite channels, in the malls and virtually anywhere I turn since mid November (and will likely be on until new years), has soured me to pretty much all xmas music. I guess this is where I'm supposed to end with, "BAH HUMBUG!", but I believe that still have the christmas spirit, just not tapping my toes to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" or "I'll Have A Blue Christmas Without You". At my family getogether on Christmas Eve, we do put a CD with genuine Christmas Carols on the stereo and it does set the mood......for that one evening! But if Elvis or the Chipmunks come on that stereo, I'm breaking out the artillery and yelling "PULL", hoping someone will fling that CD out the window like it were flying out of a skeet house! TBow

My wife and her sister went to a CPA prior to jumping with both feet into a small business. He gave them some excellent advice after reviewing their business plan and the available books. Unfortunately, they didn't listen to him and 14 years later the business went t_ts up. Had they listened to him, they would have started the business with far less debt and would still likely be in business today showing books in the black. Either that or they wouldn't have ventured down that road knowing the possibility of failure. Live and learn! Would I ever consider starting a small business? Not unless I won $20 million in a lottery and could afford to loose a $100,000. Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group of businesses, was once asked, "How do you become a millionaire?". "Easy!", he said. "Just start out with a billion dollars, and buy an airline!". Although most of us (well at least me) will never be able to afford a business like Virgin Airlines or the like, his message serves the purpose of understanding that not all businesses MAKE money. Some LOOSE money, and as a small business entrepeneur, you should consider that possibility and go into this venture with both eyes open and definately not tunnel-visioned! TBow

It doesn't sound like you have to put up a great deal of capital to get started. If you do have to consider financing to any degree, here's something my wife and I learned very early in our plunge into the small business waters (which by-the-way failed): 1. Ensure that your business and personal finances and lives are isolated from one another. If the banks or financial institutions want you to put up your home or any personal equities for security against the business, look for other options or tell them to go blow smoke! 2. Talk to a CPA before you start the business to get suggestions on where to start and ideas that will provide security and possibly save you money.....and listen to them! 3. Keep maticulous books and files of all business transactions and expenses. 4. If the business looks like it's going to make a ton of money right off the bat, take a deep breath and apply some self-control on the spending. There will be highs and lows in the income aspect of it more than likely. Jumping into early and extravegant financial commitments based on early returns can bury a small business when poorer times present themselves. 5. PAY YOURSELF! 6. If things are floundering, know when to call it quits. Many small business owners want to hold on until the last dog is hung when tough times just keep getting worse. They have some personal blood, sweat and tears invested into their business and don't seem to be able to walk away and watch the ship sink. Learn how to determine when the ship has already sunk. Don't stay in it when it seems like all you're doing is digging a deeper hole. 7. If you have to finance the business through other institutions, be carefull that their needs for proof of securities don't tie your hands on how to run your business. ie: In small business it's sometimes advantageous to show a loss or to have a lot of write-offs in order to reduce the taxes you pay on the business and personal salary. Quite often the banks do not want you to show losses on your books as it doesn't bode well for security on the money they've loaned you. They can pressure you into showing profits, which translates into additional taxes as well as admin fees to the banks to ease their anxieties. Best of luck! TBow

Just to add to GW's post: 11. Before hitting the "SEND" button or clicking on the "SUBMIT REPLY" box, think to yourself, "Would I be willing to say face to face, what I am contemplating sending to someone via the internet?". If the answer is 'NO'. Then that's generally an indication that you shouldn't post it! TBow

I think it's important to note just what usage one intends the boots to be exposed to. If you're going to be active during cold weather, then a lighter, less insulated boot may suffice. If you're going to be inactive for 3 to 4 hours in a treestand at -10 to -30 F temps, then you might want to opt for greater insulation with less mobile attributes......I hate being cold! TBow

Pretty much the same in today's markets as the Canuckistanian loonie is almost at parity with the US greenback.....well at least before the banks get ahold of it all and try to exchange it. ....that's what she should be bashing! BANKS, not sexual orientations. TBow

I also have some cousins who are gay/lesbian. They are really great people, as are their partners. I'm not saying they are great people BECAUSE they are gay/lesbian. I'm just saying that they are essentially great people, who BY-THE-WAY, just happen to be gay/lesbian. I hold no ill feelings or black sheep thoughts about the gay/lesbian cummunity, the same as I would hope that they do not hold it against me that I am heterosexual. I have known some gays/lesbians that I really didn't like, but then I know quite a few people in the heterosexual community that I didn't have any use for either. My opinions of them all weren't based on their sexual preferences. It was based on their actions as human beings towards their fellow mankind. We're all just people. What conscenting adults want to do behind closed doors, is their business. Just my $0.02. TBow

It's for sure that if you want your feet to have a chance at staying warm in cold temperatures, don't wear tight boots. They need some space to allow them to have some air as an insulating quality. That being said, too loose and your feet will be slip slidin' all day long inside of the boots and you'll be uncomfortable as heck, not to mention the probability of blisters. Sizing is importante'! That's one reason why I'd be somewhat hestitant to buy boots on-line or via a cataloge ordering store, rather than in-store where you can try them on for sizing purpose. I guess that goes for any boot, no matter what type you choose. What has worked for me for really cold temps here, is the traditional green rubber type hunting boots with a removeable liner with a nylon upper rim with draw cord. I don't get the $29.99 valued boots, but rather a better quality boot and better grade liner. For the extreme cold temps I buy my boots about 4 sizes larger than my foot size then double up the liners. I also use an air spacer in the bottom of the boot. The boot will still generate moisture from your feet sweating, but you'll still stay warm throughout the day. Most impotant note is to remove the liners when you get home or back in camp to allow the liners as well as the inside of the boot to dry out before use the next day/time. My boots are made by Baffin and are the Trapper model. They sell for around $80 to $90 here in Canada and an extra set of insulated liners will run anywhere from $30 to $50. One of my friends just bought another model made by Baffin and had a more significant liner in them and seemed to be a more robust outer shell as well. TBow

I was out yesterday morning deer hunting with my son, brother-in-law and a friend of my son. The temps were great around 0 C. Did some early morning stand hunting then put a small drive on. Put a few deer past everyone, as I was the beater/driver. Today is a whole other story. Thank goodness the temps are still hovering around 1 or 0 C, otherwise it'd be the '98 Ice Storm all over again. The wife had to work this morning, so I drove her to work with my 4X4 as the roads this morning looked borderline, but didn't turn out too bad. The roads are slush right now and holding a lot of the rain, so if it freezes this evening it'll be a mess for sure. It's been pouring all morning. I'm hoping to get out again this week coming to deer hunt with my brother-in-law, but if this rain freezes in the woods, it'll make for some crunchy walking. TBow

Black smoke in the exhaust is, as others have noted, unburnt fuel. Water in the fuel will create white smoke and oil in the fuel (or slipping past the rings) will create gray or blue smoke. Something you haven't mentioned checking was the air filter. A plugged air filter (or blocked air intake) may also cause black exhaust as the fuel mixture is starving for oxygen and will not efficiently burn. Just food for thought. TBow

Sounds like the snow will be here to stay. So I can slip the tracks on the Argo and go out to play! TBow

"Hey Cap'n! You really gots'ta put some clothes on before you slide down that pole!!!!!!" TBow

If'n it were me, I'd choose a "beaver fur trooper hat"! It's warm, stylish, says you're an outdoors kind'a guy and just screams, "Hey PETA! Uppa yu nose, wit'ta rubba hose!". TBow

Whenever you see the price of a barrel of crued oil on the news, that price is for oil futures 2 months down the road. Still, that being said, the price of a barrel of crued just climbed to just shy of $90 US for January/February, but the price on the pumps immediately shot up $0.10/Litre ($0.45/imp. gallon) cdn here. How do you spell "oil pricing"? = G-O-U-G-I-N-G :helpsmilie: TBow

The picture for sure is priceless. The accompanying underlying caption made me burst out laughing! TBow

That's just Gollum looking for "PRECIOUS"! TBow

Poutine? Didn't he used to be the president of Russia? Poutine = Cholesterol in a cup OR Heart Attack To Go Geoff / TBow

Vinegar and salt TBow

Shaun, I bought some fuel stateside last week and thought like you that the cdn and the US dollar were close to parity, so it wouldn't cost me much. When I got my VISA bill, they tagged me almost 4% for the admin portion of exchanging funds. The cdn dollar was at or about $0.99 US, so all in all it cost me $0.05 on the dollar extra. COSA!#FRASA*<?!RAMBA!$#>? But suprprisingly, I still saved money as opposed to fueling up in Canuckistan! TBow

Here's some driving practices that tick me off: 1. Following a driver that speeds up on the straight stretches so you can't pass them, then slows down on the curves or when another vehicle is approaching in the opposite direction negating a passing scenario. 2. Someone who passes you then slows down as soon as they pull in front of you requiring you to either hit the brakes or pass them yourself only to be passed by them again. 3. People who have the legal "right of way" at a corner, but sit there waiting for you to go while you await them to use their "right of way". 4. People who SPEED up behind you on a 4-lane hiway while you're passing another vehicle at or above the speed limit, then they tail-gate you and start flashing their headlights for you to get out of their way. (Oh ya, that's the time when you take it off cruise control and sit beside an 18 wheeler for about 2 or 3 more miles just to tick'em off!) 5. Tailgaters! I hate tailgaters! BACK OFF VARMINT! 6. People who try to pass a stopped and standing line of traffic by driving on the right shoulder of the road. That's just rude! 18 wheelers got their number though! TBow