Babtizmal and a walk in the woods

[Hoyt]

Babtizmal..went to woods this morning..got to go back to hospital tomorrow to see what they can do about my heart..so figured I'd see if I could scare up a squirrel today. Didn't go real early..got there bout 8:00am and wasn't much going on. I eased around and was mostly scouting this WMA for next deer season if I get a quota. Hog and deer sign was everywhere but only squirrel was open in here.
I finally walked up on one on the ground and he ran up tree barking at me, so I eased up to about 35yds. and let loose with my Virgina Smooth-rifle loaded with a paper cup gobbler load. 80grs. FF 100grs. #6's and 20grs. #4's. He crumbled into a wet slew and I had to wade in for him.

that's my first animal with a flintlock

I didn't see anymore squirrels as the wind got up real bad so I just looked over some old spots I'd hunted before and happened onto these hogs feeding around on live-oak acorns. Hogbutt
Wasn't long before this sow got wind of me and they were splashing into the deep swamp..was about 15 or 20 of them all sizes.
Eased on into another area to see if buck was still in there and found his scrape line and rubs along with more hog sign and well used hog rub they've been doing some cuttin on this pine somebody might have poured burnt oil on it..I didn't smell to see.
Also wouldn't be a visit into public land without getting to see how some find their way around..bet he's got one tied on his truck door handle

there's 5 in this picture an another one right where I'm standing not in frame..bout every 15' all the way out to wood's rd.

 

[gmww]

Thank you for the pictorial journey into your neck of the woods. It was awsome.

 

[KyFlintlock]

Congrats on getting out and putting the hammer on that squirrel. I enjoyed seeing the scenery!

Wess

 

[Stumpkiller]

Nice! Be fun to put those pretty ribbons in a line right to the wet slew you fished that Limb Dinner out of. :haha:

. . . got to go back to hospital tomorrow to see what they can do about my heart.

Well, we can testify it's in the right place.

Best wishes that everything works out well. :hatsoff:

 

[hawk]

Hoyt sounds like a beauty day .
Nice smoothie and critter.
all the best at the docs' :thumbsup:

 

[Bob J]

What a beautiful day to be in the outdoors. Thanks for posting the photos. That's a nice lookin' flinter :thumbsup: What kind of round ball load does it take and what kind of accuracy are you getting?

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks for the well wishes men..and it was a nice day for easin around in the woods..just too windy for squirrels. Man them hogs make me hungry just lookin at them..that place was loaded with acorns this yr. and really draws the hogs. Look how fat they are..they will eat just as good as a Winn Dixie center cut pork chop. Just look at the difference between one of them and this one I took a picture of before the acorns started dropping.

..everything goes well tomorrow..hopefully a stint or baloon..I'm going hog hunting this wk-end with the .54cal. Buck's Co.
Dixie Flinter..the only balls I got for the .62cal. smooth bore are .610" and they are too tight to get down the bore with any patch. I shot two in it last spring gobbler season just to see how it would do just using 60grs. ff Goex a felt wad the 610" ball and a thin overshot card. It hit where I was aiming at about 25yds. both times. I got to try it with .600" and about .010" patch or so when I get around to it. I like them big Ole balls..lots of difference in them and the .54cal. However..I won't hunt nothing but gobblers and occasional squirrel with the smooth-bore..just a shotgun. I'm in process right now of getting parts together for a lite-weight .58cal. Buck's County huntin rifle. Still trying to decide which way to go..etc. Want to do that one and already got a parts and price list from Tip Curtis for a .40cal. Buck's County like on Birddog's web-site..but decided I needed to get the .58cal. built first.

 

[Pork Chop]

Hoyt,

Godspeed on your recovery. Which WMA were you poking around in?

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks Pork Chop..I was in Richloam Baird Unit today. I usually bow hunt it a little after the first 9 day bowhunt special quota hunt they have in there..it opens for everybody for about a wk of bowhunting.
I don't ever put in for Baird because it hasn't been very good for the last 5 or 6yrs..but I think they had a good season in there this yr. Had a very good acorn crop. It buts up against Richloam WMA and this yr. they killed a big 16pt. on the Baird Richloam fenceline. I'm going to give Baird a harder look next bowseason. Good Lord willing I'm going to give all them WMA's in that area a harder look next season..I'm sick of this piddlin around half dead huntin. Can't go far, have to always worry about how I'm going to get anything out..loaded up..everything. I might as well forget spring gobbler hunting unless I can get where I'm able to cover some ground.
Oh..Well..I'm going to shut up..grateful to be able to do what I do..lots have it much worse off.

 

[spitfire]

Thanks for sharing the Pictures!Hope the Hospital stay is short.Godspeed. :applause:

 

[gmww]

When you come back please let us know Hoyt. God be with you! :thumbsup:

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks again for all the well wishes..looks like I'm going to need them. Had the cath and it showed pretty much what I had expected only much worse. All my by-passes from two months ago have blocked..one was 100% closed and had to have two stints put in it because a big portion of my heart wasn't getting any blood..lucky it wasn't damaged and the Dr. said it's a miracle I didn't have a heart attack hunting. The other new by-passes are at least 50% closed along with all the other old blockages I already had. While he was stinting my artery I asked him if I would be able to go hog hunting this wk-end and he gave a quick "No" and then said "I don't think you realize just how many blockages you have". I said "Well I went hunting yesterday" and he replied that I was lucky I didn't have a heart attack. Anyway to day I asked him just how many I have and it's 14 blockages. Sounds unreal but he drew me a picture of all of them and told me I had two options..either heart transplant or 6 to 8 stints. He also said he didn't know why my arteries are closing up so fast, that my cholesterol is not that high..I don't smoke or drink and that it just must be my body chemistry..or genes.
However..the good news is he said that all can be stinted..nutherwords..all of them are big enough for stints..can't stint small arteries. He also told me of a patient he had in Michigan that was about my age..58..that is a hunter who climbs trees etc. has an active outdoor life. He said he had a about my same condition and he recommend by-pass and the by-passes closed up with-in two months like mine and he did 6 stints on him and he's hunting just like before with the exception of just a little chest pain when he pushes it too much and then he eases off and it goes away.
So he gave me a glimmer anyway. Said we would let these stints heal and then do a stress test and if no pain and no stress shows on heart we will not stint but continue to stress test every month or few and stint as needed and realistically 6 or so will be needed..just do in stages.
I did however end up getting a kinda OK to go hog hunting this wk end..long as I took it slow and easy and not get excited and put a fast load on my heart. I figure if I didn't croak after my gun miss-fired on the trophy buck 5 steps, stopped, broadside, this yr. I can deal with a hog. The most chest pain I had was after my gun clicked and that buck ran off. I just sat up there in such disappointment and dejection that my chest started hurting so bad that I really got concerned about it.
Sorry about the long post..just kinda getting it off my chest and will not post about my health anymore. Can't decide if I want to go flint a few squirrels in the morning or wait till Sat. and try to calmly kill a hog.

 

[davy]

Well said Hoyt

May God be with you my friend, you are not alone here, as many of us have health issues too, and I can think of no better therapy than to get out in the woods with the critters, the sun, and the wind in the trees!

Davy

 

[gmww]

Tell that doc that you got a few more hogs to kill and a bunch of good ole boys with smoke poles keeping an eye on him! :grin:

 

[spitfire]

Nothing perfect in this world-speedy recovery - and I hope you nail a piney wood rooter soon! :v

 

[riverrat43]

Hoyt...many prayers have gone upwards on your behalf. Hang in there and take it easy. Here's hoping all that stint stuff works.

 

[The Baron]

Congratulations on your first game with a flinter! :thumbsup:

A toast to your health and to many years in the woods, happily making smoke. :hatsoff:

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks again men and here's todays episode..Old Virginia came through again this morning. Went back to some public land that's open for small game. I got there late again..just left when I got up, but it was after 9:00am when I got to woods. Decided to just hunt one good mature Live Oak Grove. I eased in and found a good spot and sat down. Wasn't 10minutes before one decided to come out of hiding. Let go with a load of #5's (70grs. 3f, 2 Ox Yoke lubed Wads, 120grs. #5's in paper shot cup and thin overshot card) and he dropped to the ground.
I took my time moving slow to let things calm down and took a few pictures..some big Ole oak trees back in here that have most likely seen others in the long ago past, easing along under neat with flintlocks in hand.
I continued on along the edge of a swamp bordering the oak grove and heard a hog giving that long warning grunt they give when they wind you. Then I saw another squirrel trying to make an escape up ahead. I got to the tree I last saw him in and sat to wait him out. I waited about 15min. and he never showed so I eased up under the big oak I thought he was in and saw a squirrel looking clump on a limb and low and behold it finally moved to confirm my suspicions. I let the .20ga. do it's thing again and down he came dead as a door knob.
Well I now had a Brace of Squirrel and with the one still in my fridge at home I knew I now had what us Old Fashion Southerners refer to as a Mess.
I may have to erase my gobbler on the flat horn and paint me a squirrel on there. I been carrying shot in the

my flat horn anyway..so might make order another one from Crazy Crow and scratch a squirrel on it. Also might have to designate my Old Virginia Gobbler Gun for squirrels..since it's 3-0 on them and make me another lighter 16ga. for a Gobbler Gun.
Anyway I did leave one for seed..it was too quick for me..walked up on it had it dead to right at about 15yds. and before I could cock my gun and draw a bead it dove out the tree and made a ground run never to be seen again. Bout the only way to get them when they pull that trick is on the way down.

 

[oomcurt]

Best of luck to you in your endeavors to get well. I have the feeling you will do well. Incidentally, that is one beautiful job you did on the horn. :hatsoff: Nothing quite so fine tasting as squirrel, imho. :thumbsup:

 

[flint62]

The first critter I ever shot with my smoothbore, or any bp gun for that matter was a squirrel. It never gets tired. I could spend the rest of my hunting time doing it.
Great pictures, Hope you are well. :hatsoff:
Kevin