C’mere deer!

[WHX?? 48,813]

That the way it goes Ed!

Pulled the chip off the camera in back of the house by the plow field you were playing in Kev and this was on it. Looks like he escaped the neighbors wrath during gun season. Still have my crossbow buck tag so heading out right now. Maybe get $h!# house lucky?!?!?

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

Nice...big chested swayed  back old  buck that is probably past his prime.     Good luck Jim.   Put him in the freezer before he dies of old age.

[WHX?? 48,813]

I'm gonna need it Ed ... Thinkin this guy went nocturnal and pretty cagey. It would take an act of Congress to get permission to hunt where I think he hangs out. Land around here is pretty locked up. The guys around me that own 200+ acres of mixed farmland/hardwoods are pretty protective. Thankfully they aren't when it it come to plowing right Kev?

I'm thinkin he's 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 yo? That's ancient as most brutes like that don't make it past 2 1/2 around here. He obviously has some good genetics. Almost got a in rut sized neck. 

What's your take on the age to be past prime Ed?

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

This was a strange season here in Pa.   The rut normally occurs in early November and this year it never happened.   I am seeing more daytime activity right  now than in November.  The buck I just saw was chasing three doe.  I am  finding 2-3 road kills every week near home.   More eagle food than I can use.

Your buck pic has a wide face, a big brisket and humped shoulder.  I think he is  over 4 YO.     At this age, he probably has reached his max antler growth.   His teeth wear will soon be a factor in his ability to feed properly.    Most wild whitetails don't live to be over 6yo.     The pen raised deer that are fed soft high nutrition feed will live much longer and continue antler growth with age.

 

[Mows4three 826]

Hello Ed!  

 

I am quite embarrassed. Just saw that you stopped by our camp during deer season.  Sure wish we had been there to greet you!  

 

This is been the second year in a row that we have not opened up camp to hunt. As you know, Andy was sick last year, but he is doing much much better now.  Almost 100%.   In September I got word that my job was going to change dramatically. I have spent the last month and a half in training for my new role. The first week of deer season found me in Austin, Texas at a national sales training meeting.   Let me assure you, I would rather have spent it back in Pennsylvania with my friends, my dad, and the rest of our family hunting in Somerset County.

 

I hope our paths cross soon!

 

I wish you, your son and the entire extended Kennel family a very healthy, safe, and Happy New Year!  

 

Dave

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

Sooo good to hear from you Dave.   I have to admit, I was concerned.         Really great to hear Andy Is doing well.   Mark is also doing well with two good check ups sine the chemo.

Best Wishes to you and your family.   May be we will meet in June at the big show?

 

[Mows4three 826]

Honestly Ed, thanks for the concern.   Andy has had three good checkups since his abdominal surgery and all lab tests and exams have been negative.   It feel great to be able to say that!   He just had his fourth CT scan and some more blood work yesterday and we are expecting the same results.   After last year, no news is certainly good news for us.   

 

I’m going to give the Big Show a distinct probability this year.   There are so many folks that I want to meet and so much I’d like to see. I am waiting on calendars from two volunteer organizations I belong to and if the date is clear, I’ll be at the fairgrounds.   Can’t wait!  

 

I don't remember if I shared the photos with you, but we’ve been slowly building a multi-purpose workshop and a blacksmithing shed on our back lot.  I attached a photo from early fall.  Neither of these are too big, and I’m sure that I’ll outgrow them as soon as I move my wood working equipment and forge into them.  The workshop will have an area to store and service my garden tractors, snow blower and ATV.  A neighbor just installed an air over hydraulic lift for his motorcycle from HF and it’s got me thinking hard.   It would be nice to have one of these.   I’m itching to be able to wrench on my equipment without crawling around on arthritic knees.  

 

Good to be back.   Give me a call when you’re heading back up to Somerset County.  I’d love to host you at the cabin for a chat, a coffee and a visit.

 

Dave

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

Thanks for the update and the good news Dave.         Your buildings look like a great place to spend some retirement hours when that time arrives.

 

Kev @pullstart,  I hope you don't mind this  stuff, but all deer hunters are connected.

 

BTW, I was thinking of you guys while eating breakfast this morning.    Our local Yorkana Gun Club made scrapple from six deer last Sat.

I fried some this morning and smothered it in home grown Somerset Co. maple syrup.    Sorry I didn't get any pics, it disappeared too quickly, you'll have to trust me...it was gooood.

Got your boiler ready Kev ?  Sap running time is just around the corner.

[Pullstart 62,829]

First and foremost, I love reading about hunting, cool blacksmith forge stuff and shop stuff!  Glad to hear the updates too!  No worries on off topic, it’s all good 

 

Second, what in the sam tootin’ is scrapple? If it’s got deer, it must be delicious!  

 

Third, we need actual winter to arrive before the starches turn to sugar for us.  I haven’t even touched the evaporator since last season, it’s still in my buddy’s yard.  With some upsets like the flood and extended housework, I didn’t get as far as I planned on a new brick arch maple syrup machine, but the Mantucket Syrup Factory should do us alright.  Maybe though, we’ll be able to bring it in to the back barn with the doors open and fashion a makeshift condensation stack to keep the barn dry.  

 

I picked up my Christmas Doe from the processor already, it was such a quick turnaround it wasn’t even funny!  For the time being, $100 well spent.  

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=German+Scrapple+Recipe&ru=%2fvideos%2fsearch%3fq%3dGerman%2bScrapple%2bRecipe%26FORM%3dVDMHRS&view=detail&mid=BA6E8399D622DC9A29C6BA6E8399D622DC9A29C6&rvsmid=95FB3EB8EBF208058C6E95FB3EB8EBF208058C6E&FORM=VDQVAP

 

Scrapple is normally made from "scraps" left over from butcher hogs.    But fat free deer meat makes excellent healthier scrapple.

[Mows4three 826]

Hey guys!

 

Love me some good scrapple.    

 

The Scots have Haggis.  The Pennsylvania Dutch have Scrapple.   Different recipes and regional differences, but they are both ways to use up all of the “pluck” from an animal.  

 

Ed, do you use cornmeal in yours?  

 

The weather has has been decidedly warm in western PA, too, Kevin.  Good for getting work done in our small orchard but hard to kill bugs when the temps don’t dip below freezing.   Also, several varieties of apples that we have require so many hours of just above freezing temperatures to stimulate the growth of buds for next year’s crop of apples.  Somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 chill hours for our varieties.  

 

Well, I’ve got to get to work.  Have a Happy New Year, fellas!

 

Dave

[WHX?? 48,813]

On 12/29/2019 at 7:17 AM, Mows4three said:

an air over hydraulic lift for his motorcycle from HF

Tom and Mike both have them. They repurposed bleacher seats for extensions. Mike @prondzy did a write up on his. 

 

Interesting shop there Dave, why up on stilts instead of on a slab? I like the clear lites but how do you insulate it off for heating it or don't you plan to? 

Edited December 30, 2019 by WHX24

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

2 hours ago, Mows4three said:

 

 

Ed, do you use cornmeal in yours?  

 

Yes Sir, corn meal is the main thickening ingredient in Pa Dutch "ponhause"  (pan roast)  scrapple.

[Mows4three 826]

12 hours ago, WHX24 said:

Interesting shop there Dave, why up on stilts instead of on a slab? I like the clear lites but how do you insulate it off for heating it or don't you plan to? 

 

 In my area of Pennsylvania, the seasonal swings of temperature in the spring and fall create lots of moisture and condensation issues with a concrete floor in a building that isn’t always going to be temperature controlled.   I built my cabin up on a post and girder foundation 35 years ago. I’ve been real happy with it not getting dank or musty since the wind blows freely under the cabin and tends to keep it dry.   With a slab floor in the woodshop and inconsistent heating with a wood stove, I felt the same kind of logic would apply.  Plus, you drop a sharp tool on a wood floor and it tends to not dull like with concrete. Merry 

 

12 hours ago, WHX24 said:

Tom and Mike both have them. They repurposed bleacher seats for extensions. Mike @prondzy did a write up on his.

 

Interesting lift extensions.  I figured I could just use a sheet of 3/4” plywood on mine, cut to the widest width of my tractor wheels plus 4”.  

[WHX?? 48,813]

11 hours ago, Mows4three said:

swings of temperature in the spring and fall create lots of moisture and condensation issues with a concrete floor in a building that isn’t always going to be temperature controlled.

Very true, my shop rarely falls below 36 degrees in winter but in spring when warm moist air hits the cold concrete lots of condensation and floor can become quite slick  Same in my metal clad open sheds where condensation on the underside of the roof can even cause it to "rain" inside. Even the open outside lean to areas do this.  Not good for table saw tops I can tell you! Should have used some type of barrier when I built..  

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

8 minutes ago, WHX24 said:

Very true, my shop rarely falls below 36 degrees in winter but in spring when warm moist air hits the cold concrete lots of condensation and floor can become quite slick  Same in my metal clad open sheds where condensation on the underside of the roof can even cause it to "rain" inside. Even the open outside lean to areas do this.  Not good for table saw tops I can tell you! Should have used some type of barrier when I built..  

Mrs Ks garage floor gets very slick when damp, especially when wearing Crocs.   It has a smooth finish.  I keep rugs down in the walkway areas to prevent falls.

The concrete floor in my unheated pole barn has a broomed finish and never gets slick.    The walls are not insulated, but I did use 3/8" foam insulation under the metal roof to prevent inside rain...it works.      

I understand Dave's reasoning on the raised  wood floors for a cabin or woodworking shop.  For a garage shop, I would be concerned about vehicle  support and the fire hazard created by the spilling of fuel, oil, and solvents soaking into the wood floor.

[Mows4three 826]

19 minutes ago, WHX24 said:

Very true, my shop rarely falls below 36 degrees in winter but in spring when warm moist air hits the cold concrete lots of condensation and floor can become quite slick  Same in my metal clad open sheds where condensation on the underside of the roof can even cause it to "rain" inside. Even the open outside lean to areas do this.  Not good for table saw tops I can tell you! Should have used some type of barrier when I built..  

 

I get what you mean by the “rain” from the roof scenario.   When we put the roofs on both of these buildings we used an aluminized bubble wrap insulation to prevent that kind of sweating from the high humidity and the differences in air temperatures.   

 

To prevent my tool surfaces from rusting too badly I use a product from Bostik called Glide Coat.   It works pretty well.  I used to use Johnson paste wax but then I had a problem with the finish on a cherry cabinet.  I got fish eyes in the final finish and had to start all over again.   The wax came off of either the table saw, planer, or joiner and contaminated the wood surface of the cabinet.  Sanding the doors with a random orbital sander just made sure the wax got spread around.  Lots more work on a project that already consumed a lot of time.  

 

May we all be safe, healthy and prosperous In 2020!   Happy New Year...!

 

Dave

[WHX?? 48,813]

2 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

spilling of fuel, oil, and solvents soaking into the wood floor.

I have a 12x8 garden shed I converted to a magic shed and when I built it I just used three sheets of regular 3/4 treated plywood right over some treated 6x6's buried in the ground and everyone told me it was going to rot out right away. 30 years later holding up well. Couple of tractors I had in it peed 80/90 all over it and soaked into the wood helping to preserve it I believe. 

6 minutes ago, Mows4three said:

used an aluminized bubble wrap insulation

Smart man!  Now they have steel panels with a felt like coating on the bottom side to keep condensation off. 

[Mows4three 826]

4 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

Mrs Ks garage floor gets very slick when damp, especially when wearing Crocs.   It has a smooth finish.  I keep rugs down in the walkway areas to prevent falls.

The concrete floor in my unheated pole barn has a broomed finish and never gets slick.    The walls are not insulated, but I did use 3/8" foam insulation under the metal roof to prevent inside rain...it works.      

I understand Dave's reasoning on the raised  wood floors for a cabin or woodworking shop.  For a garage shop, I would be concerned about vehicle  support and the fire hazard created by the spilling of fuel, oil, and solvents soaking into the wood floor.

 

My buddy is a contractor and we talked about the type of wood floor to use in the woodshop, specifically about fluid contamination.  I was worried about water more than anything else.   I wanted to use 3/4” T&G plywood that I could paint or apply some kind of finish.   He recommended a 3/4” T&G OSB product designed for flooring.   He said he has seen plywood delaminate after a soaking by a leaky pipe and he had great results and no call backs with the OSB made for this application.   It has a resin impregnated into it to make it more resistant to infiltration by fluids.   

 

I will definitely keep an eye on the gas/oil saturation issue.  Truth be told, I’m only going to have a couple garden tractors and other light power equipment stored in my shop when not in high use.   I have some trays/pans/tin and cardboard catch basins for those kind of things, but well worth mentioning and paying attention to.   

 

There was a fellow on Craigslist that has used 1.5” rigid polyiso insulation for sale for $8 a sheet.  It was used under flat roofs with rubber roofing placed on top.   I bought 40 sheets from him for my walls of the woodshop.   I’ll cover them with 7/16” OSB so I can attach cabinets and fixtures to the walls with screws.   I’m going to get another 35 sheets from him in the spring to finish off the shop.   My roof trusses are 4’ on center.   I plan to spray paint one side of the insulation panels white latex, them trim the panels to size and drop them in between the trusses for an insulated ceiling.  This method should give me a white reflective surface for effective lighting as well as continued and easy lift-out access to the roof area for additional wiring, air lines, etc...  

 

The 2’ polycarbonate panels we installed at the top of each side wall do wonders for letting in natural light.  I don’t need to pay the power company for light during the day!  

 

Happy New Year fellas!

 

Dave

[WHX?? 48,813]

Yes … Guys... 

 

Sounds like a good plan Dave. 

Most of the better builders here use that OSB in RNC in case it rains before they get a lid on. 

What did you do for a floor joist system then? Is the underside insulated? Not worried about critters getting under there? 

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

Sounds like you have it well designed for your use Dave.

I built my 24X32 pole barn with boat storage and maintenance a factor.   I poured the concrete floor with a taper to a central  grated pit with a drain.  I frequently run water cooled outboards and wash down boats and vehicles.     The pit collects any debris and makes it easy to lift the 2'X2' grate and clean the drain cover.   It also works well for clean up after deer butchering as my hoist is directly over the drain pit.      The concrete is also necessary for my fab work...welding and grinding.

It's all about designing it for your use.

[Mows4three 826]

Here are a couple photos from the construction of the building.  The foundation s overbuilt to accommodate the weight of stored hardwood lumber and my power equipment.    We used treated 6”x6” posts and built up treated girders with treated 2X10s on 16” centers.   We drilled 24” diameter holes 4’ deep and poured 12” of concrete to form pads to set the posts. 

 

 

[Mows4three 826]

9 hours ago, Ed Kennell said:

Sounds like you have it well designed for your use Dave.

I built my 24X32 pole barn with boat storage and maintenance a factor.   I poured the concrete floor with a taper to a central  grated pit with a drain.  I frequently run water cooled outboards and wash down boats and vehicles.     The pit collects any debris and makes it easy to lift the 2'X2' grate and clean the drain cover.   It also works well for clean up after deer butchering as my hoist is directly over the drain pit.      The concrete is also necessary for my fab work...welding and grinding.

It's all about designing it for your use.

 

I agree with you Ed.  Different strokes for different folks, right?  

 

The woodshop is 24x40.  It’s the largest outbuilding I could build in my township without going through a permit process.   I’m sure that I’ll outgrow it as soon as I get my equipment and wood moved into it...!    I have three more circuits to run in the shop then I can get my final electrical inspection, button up the walls, dig the ditch for a 200 amp underground service and have the power company set a pole to get hooked up.  

 

I like your your idea of the concrete floor if I were doing my fabrication work there, but I have another shop dedicated to that a couple miles from the house.  I’ll have my blacksmith shop next door to the woodshop if I need to throw some sparks!  Plan to drop a 50 amp service into the blacksmith shed to run a welder and a couple other incidental pieces like a drill press, stationary grinder, angle grinders and sanders. 

 

Dave

[Pullstart 62,829]

So hunting season is over.  What am I thinking about?  Tractors and hunting!  I’ve been watching a ton of content from Jeff Sturgis of Whitetail Habitat Solutions on YouTube.  

 

A few things I feel need improvement:

 

I need to set up a mock scrape.  Jeff says it is a social thing that every deer will visit, sniff, lick and rub.

 

I need to add a water feature.  Jeff praises the 110 gallon water troughs from Tractor Supply.  They require a spring clean out each year, a top off maybe once and the deer begin to hit it often.  That might happen before my pond becomes reality.

 

My food plot is too close to the tree, should be a bit more irregular shape, should be no more than 20’ wide but preferably 10’ or so and more like a hallway than a box.  If there were two odd shaped plots with a trail between it might be optimal.  He talks about rye and brasca quite a bit.  I might add that to my blend.  The turnips I feel like were a flop because the neighbor former planted about 15 or 20 acres of turnips just after I put my plot in.  The deer were actively in my plot, but I didn’t see any turnips torn up.  I did however snack on a few!

 

I’d like to make a way to get in and out of my stand without kicking the deer out of the plot.  I had countless encounters of being 10’ from the base of the tree and they were snorting and wheezing at me before running off.  He talks about Egyptian wheat as it grows super tall but has no food value to deer, so it becomes a perfect wall.  I also want to clear a couple lanes from just behind the barn and build a gun shack and partially or mostly bury it.  

 

 

 

Here is my field plot.  This view is from 2018’s hunting season, curtesy of Google Earth.  That season, I planted nothing, just blazed trails.  In the painted up picture, the Red blotch is my tree stand, the green path is my first deer (the 7 point) and the blue path is my second in the same day (the 8 point).

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

This is a view of this year’s action.  The green is the plot, the blue is the travel of the 5 point and the yellow is the doe he kicked up.