What did you do today?

[Oldbloke]

Very nice indeed

[bigpete]

Went bird watching today,then pole fishing for carp.
Then went and caught up with a new mate who is like a 20 year older version of me,who loaned me a bunch of fly tying gear,so this arvo was spent tying flies of course

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[wanneroo]

This weekend is the last official weekend of summer, Labor Day weekend and it comes this year with a heat wave, next week will be one of the hottest weeks of the summer.

It is probably good though since we have had so much rain that the heat dries out the soil some before autumn sets in. Already a few leaves changing and now it is a race against time as the days get shorter and cooler, there is so much stuff I want to do before winter.

[bladeracer]

I've been out six times this week looking for deer on a property I haven't explored since late 2020. Lots of the tracks that were usable then are now blocked with fallen trees from the 2021 storms, so just finding my way around has been an adventure. This week I've only managed to get out after about 1600 which doesn't leave a lot of time before it's too dark to see by about 1810. So I'm going to head out shortly to be there before sun-up for a look. I want to explore down a very steep muddy and slippery track today to see how far I can get through there. I went down it about a month ago and suspect the reason it's so muddy is high traffic of deer coming up to the dams. He's asked myself and other hunters to go in and clear out the fallow over the next few months. Only one other is local so I've been leaving the weekends for the city folk but he tells me nobody is out this weekend and I happen to have a free day. All of us have sighted deer but none of us has managed a shot as yet. Lots of sheep and roos to give you away, and the wind comes up the valley and swirls around making it quite challenging. I was 2000m down the valley on Friday when Rose called on the radio to say a sambar just strolled down the road in front of the car! It was already dark by then though

I've also been out exploring the bush looking for waterfalls and swimming holes that might interest the grandkids enough to get the out into the bush. I love being out there and I'd like to get the kids feeling the same way about being wet, cold and muddy all day

[Flyonline]

Nice Pete, love me some clousers, reckon they could catch anything from a 6" trout to a 600lb marlin! I'll be in the same boat soon, trout opening yesterday and I realised I hadn't replenished since last season so better get behind the vice again

I've also been out exploring the bush looking for waterfalls and swimming holes that might interest the grandkids enough to get the out into the bush. I love being out there and I'd like to get the kids feeling the same way about being wet, cold and muddy all day

Helps to have a grandad who takes the time to get them out there

I was surprised mightily this morning when my wife dropped a bag with a couple of fathers day presents in it in my lap (wasn't expecting anything, I'd already bought myself a set of electronic earmuffs), which contained a lightweight backpacking hammock and bug net. I'm organising my first overnighter away in years, and wasn't really looking forward to giving up half my boot space with the bulky swag so I'll probably be taking both and give the hammock a run. Of course it took my 8yo as many minutes to claim it as hers and is now swinging in the sun reading a book I've been doing some long-term planning for some overnight backpack trips so this will hopefully fit in there nicely.

Took the 30-06 for a walk friday to check everything was ok after replacing the slightly heavy stock HACCT trigger spring with a 2lb gunbloke one and it all came good, nice and light and crisp.

[bladeracer]

Three fallow deer waiting at the gate when I pulled in

I waited for them to leave before getting out for a walk around. Then I spent over an hour clearing 120m of blackberry along an overgrown track. Then I hit fallen trees that will need the chainsaw to clear. By then my toes were numb from the mud so I went back to the ute to thaw them out, but that wasn't working so I decided to come home. Another great morning in the bush and I can't wait to get out there again.

[ClaytonT88]

Washed both cars, trimmed the apple trees, picked a heap of lemons for the missus to try to brew some hard lemonade, fired up the inherited rotary hoe and ..hoed? some garden beds, then mowed the lawn, big day enjoying the sunshine, it 'filled my cup' as the youth of today say.

[bigpete]

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Tied more flies today,this time some red tag variations and some dry flies. Here's hoping they work. They're a pain in the neck to tie

[Faedy]

Recently bought a PARD DS35-50 to play with.
Fitted it up to my CZ 17HMR today and sighted it in - rain was a pia, so will continue learning it tomorrow.
Happy so far.

[wanneroo]

Summer pretty much came to an end this past week. Everything is still very green, but temps slid this week and dropped below 10C at night so we will probably start seeing more color from the trees. It's a race against time now to get all summer chores and tasks finished up before it gets too cold. I have so many things to do it's crazy.

I bought a Holosun 407C for a 45 ACP Glock I am doing so I will be reviewing that on the Youtube channel. Also have many other videos I am working and have filmed a few of the rural property security series I am doing, so it will be interesting once I release those videos how much interest they garner. You never know with Youtube. Sometimes I put a ton of effort into a video and it doesn't get much views and other times I barely put any effort in at all and it gets tons of views.

Also gun prices have collapsed here. Manufacturers are slashing prices and putting out rebates. Ammo manufacturers like Winchester even have some 25% rebates right now. I'm thinking about building another AR rifle because complete rifle kits have dropped to $300. You can buy a lower receiver separate and then build it yourself and have an AR-15 for $350. There are a ton of guns right now I'd love to buy because the prices are so cheap but I really shouldn't spend the money.

[bigpete]

Recently bought a PARD DS35-50 to play with.
Fitted it up to my CZ 17HMR today and sighted it in - rain was a pia, so will continue learning it tomorrow.
Happy so far.

Is that thermal or infrared night vision?

[bigpete]

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Went fishing today,caught a few redfin on both fly and spinner

[bladeracer]

Been out chasing deer at every opportunity this month. Found another one yesterday.

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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7UXX0-GJCJU?feature=share
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MiMoquYLuLY?feature=share
Still haven't managed a shot at one but I'm getting a good feel for their habits. Hoping to get out there again this arvo for a quick look.
This was a pair I saw last week. I'd just walked down here about ten minutes before, came back to find the big one standing there, then the second one wandered out of the bush to join it.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ODTF65h5ENc?feature=share
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/C90KDKFCqRc?feature=share
Video of the three I saw the week before that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8bXsP45CY0

Also took my grandson out to F&G to try busting clays with the shotgun, which he enjoyed, so he did the safety lecture on Monday evening.

[Flyonline]

Pete

do you fish those red tags wet or dry (other than the bead-heads obviously!)? That's a nice looking cane rod, can you give some more details?

BR

Good luck but I hope you've got a fridge/coolroom to hang them in, kinda getting a bit warm for hanging meat lately!!

I cut up my sambar the other day, think I got about 45-50kg of meat and ended up having to buy a new freezer to take care of it (was expecting to anyway), but at current prices I'm still waaay ahead. Looking forward to some bbq's over the summer

[bigpete]

They're supposed to be dry flies but the one I tried sank

[Flyonline]

They'll still catch fish Reddies should love them, a bit of red and movement and they're all over it

My experience has been the best way to get good dries is to use good hackles, cheapies work, but the expensive stuff is expensive for a reason. My uncle (and fishing partner) has been using a little medicine bottle of crushed (not ground) desiccant made from silica balls from those little packets you get in anything from shoes to food packages. Put your wet fly in, shake it around a bit and blow it off and good to go

[bladeracer]

BR

Good luck but I hope you've got a fridge/coolroom to hang them in, kinda getting a bit warm for hanging meat lately!!

I cut up my sambar the other day, think I got about 45-50kg of meat and ended up having to buy a new freezer to take care of it (was expecting to anyway), but at current prices I'm still waaay ahead. Looking forward to some bbq's over the summer

It's been warm enough (in a T-shirt at 0630 last Thursday surprised me) that it was difficult to sneak around in the dry leaf litter this week. These fallow are not big, certainly not sambar size I've seen two that are a decent size but they're mostly no bigger than most dogs. Unfortunately my granddaughter spotted somebody on Gumtree giving away a bloody swimming pool this arvo so I got roped into going to collect that.

[bigpete]

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My offsider couldn't work today and we need 2 people to do the job,so I went fishing instead!

[Wm.Traynor]

What a happy boy you are, bigpete

[Flyonline]

Bugger hey!

[Billo]

Nice Haul Bigpete, one of my favorite fresh water fish to eat

[bladeracer]

Got out again this arvo for a few hours.
Saw one deer but couldn't get a shot.
I'd walked just over 3000m and was heading back to the vehicle. Climbed up a hill to get onto a track, walked along it maybe 15m, and spotted a fallow about 30m away just below the left edge of the track, head down, unaware behind a small bush. Brought the rifle up for an offhand shot but had to let my breathing settle. He popped his head up and started sniffing, obviously he'd got my scent, the wind was against the back of my neck. He barked and moved down the hill behind a tree out of sight but didn't appear below it so I knew he'd stopped. I got my phone up and went to a crouch to try to see under the tree when he started hopping up the hill onto the track and stopped about 40m in front of me.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Kon4ZfZTmUw
Unfortunately he was silhouetted now so any shot would sail out across the valley. I just recorded while waiting for him to move back down the hill where I could try a shot again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wTXQu5LGaU

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We waited a couple minutes while my right ankle cramped up, until I went down onto my bum to relieve the pain in my ankle, then he hopped further up the hill, stopped behind a bush to watch me a bit longer, then left to the northwest. The setting sun was a real issue in that direction so I went straight up the hill, then across to the west to get above the sun, and found him five minutes later in the edge of the trees to the southwest, again silhouetted.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8GM3tMNjm7M

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He bounced off to the south so I went up the hill to the north, then around to the west to get around behind him, about 600m, but I got stuck behind a lot of fallen trees and couldn't see any easy way of closing the last 200m to where I'd last seen him, and I didn't much feel like dragging him out of that mess, so I called it a day and headed back to the vehicle.

Classic examples of having a terrific view of the animal but not having a viable shot because of no backstop, oh well, maybe tomorrow

[Oldbloke]

BR

Good luck but I hope you've got a fridge/coolroom to hang them in, kinda getting a bit warm for hanging meat lately!!

I cut up my sambar the other day, think I got about 45-50kg of meat and ended up having to buy a new freezer to take care of it (was expecting to anyway), but at current prices I'm still waaay ahead. Looking forward to some bbq's over the summer

It's been warm enough (in a T-shirt at 0630 last Thursday surprised me) that it was difficult to sneak around in the dry leaf litter this week. These fallow are not big, certainly not sambar size I've seen two that are a decent size but they're mostly no bigger than most dogs. Unfortunately my granddaughter spotted somebody on Gumtree giving away a bloody swimming pool this arvo so I got roped into going to collect that.

Looks like easy country to hunt.

[bladeracer]

Looks like easy country to hunt.

It's not too bad up high as there are some decent tracks and because most of the top was cleared for sheep the fallen trees don't block you too much, you can go around them or climb or crawl under them. There is one old vehicle track from the road into the old sheds and sheep yard, and two narrow animal paths from the biggest dam through the bush to the south. To my great annoyance there is a vacant ten-acre block in between two properties I'm hunting on, and we can't get hold of the owner to ask permission to cross it. Even up on the cleared slopes there are a couple of stretches that are difficult to climb up but fairly safe when it's dry, coming down them though I scoot down on my bum, I don't think it's safe to try to walk down them.

Down into the valley though it's very difficult as it's never been cleared for harvesting or farming. It's very steep, very muddy, very dense undergrowth and there are hundreds of fallen trees to get through. There are also several tributaries that have cut very deep and steep-sided valleys in the hills that are impassable, you either climb up the hill to go around the top or go down to the bottom, wade across the creeks and climb back up the other side. Watching out for leg-breaker traps like this one.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YwJRk3ZeULY
This deer was on the bottom of the cleared part, still 260m above the bottom of the valley. There are deer paths coming up from the valley to the dams at the top. I've been clearing these narrow paths as I get around but have come to big fallen trees that I can't clear or climb over. One path I think I can clear a route on the down slope to get around the tree, but I haven't bothered putting in the time yet as I'm certain there'll be another tree a few meters past it - it would be quicker, with a more useful result, to carry in a chainsaw and clear the tree. According to the owner, and my GPS coordinates it's quite close to where the track doubles back on itself so there should only be maybe 30m of bush in the way, but it's very, very steep. I'm more inclined to try to go in at the bottom from another property and try to find a way up the hill. Recovering anything from down in there is probably not going to happen, if I shoot something down there it'll be staying there.

Those skylined shots would technically be legal on public land, though hardly very safe. But on private property I don't have permission to shoot on some of the properties on the western side of the valley so I can't take such shots in that direction. I do have permission to shoot on all of the property to the south and east, hence my trying to get up above and around the animal.

We start calving in about ten days so I won't be able to get out much over the next couple months, that's why I'm pushing it hard this month.

[bladeracer]

I got out again yesterday in the rain, and very surprisingly bloody cold. Didn't see any deer but did save the life of a cast sheep this time.

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Also saw a lyrebird on the road on the way home.

[Oldbloke]

While looking for books in an OP shop a couple of weeks ago found this old leather hand bag. $2. So, decided to try and repurpose it to a BP hunting bag. No, i dont wear a skirt out hunting.

Removed most of the studs and threaded some red cord to fill the holes. Now i need to work out what to do with the chrome buckles. Any ideas?

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[Wm.Traynor]

I got out again yesterday in the rain, and very surprisingly bloody cold. Didn't see any deer but did save the life of a cast sheep this time.

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Also saw a lyrebird on the road on the way home.

How did you save the sheep's life, bladeracer?

[Wm.Traynor]

On and off, for the past couple of days, I have been bedding the floorplate of my M70. Not much continuous work is done here for various reasons but yesterday was spent checking various measurements that were done at least a week ago. All things being correct, it was bedded yesterday arvo in JB Weld 8281 and separated just before bed last night. This morning and this arvo were spent tidying up before testing, which indicated that the "wobble" that had been present, was gone
Tomorrow, the action will be installed and the state of the action bedding will be checked. The first bedding job was done about 12 years ago but a month ago I detected some "rock" at the fore-end tip. The "wobble" in the floorplate was detected after pulling the action out and I decided to start there first. Previously the floorplate had been bedded with a flat washer under the rear hole, to increase magazine capacity to the stated five rounds. It only held four when I got it home from the dealer. Five is regulation capacity.
Over the years POI changes have been the rule and perhaps the wooden stock had warped its bedding by the time it was tested last month. For instance, the barrel is much closer now, to the fore-end channel on the left than it ever was. Maybe installing a new scope mount spoiled the fit of the action to the old bedding. I really have no idea.
Tomorrow will be interesting

[bladeracer]

I got out again yesterday in the rain, and very surprisingly bloody cold. Didn't see any deer but did save the life of a cast sheep this time.

20230921_170422b.jpg

Also saw a lyrebird on the road on the way home.

How did you save the sheep's life, bladeracer?

Lifted her into the air so she could get her feet down onto the ground. She fell over once but eventually staggered off to her mates. Last week I got to one too late and she couldn't get her back legs working, so I had to shoot her. When they fall over carrying wool they can't get their feet into ground contact to right themselves, so they die, like a turtle on its back.

[Wm.Traynor]

Thank you bladeracer. I had never seen that in my brief "career" and had it confused with hypocalcaemia.