from me to me

[smo]

What a way to celebrate a Birthday :thumbsup: Great photos and a great story as well. :hatsoff:

 

[410-er]

Great way to spend the day! :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Outstanding! Thanks for sharing. :hatsoff:

 

[david50]

nice! Spence,very nice. i have probably mentioned this before but if you have not checked out Spence's website you are missing out on a lot of great info. http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/

 

[Jason Lewis]

once again a great story spence, and thanks again for inspiring my own smoothbore adventures. :thumbsup:

 

[Bob J]

Spence, to me, reading your stuff is like going for a long walk with an old friend. The feeling and emotion that you impart into your writing and descriptions is obvious. I'm grateful that you are here on this forum and willing to share your stories with us. Thank you.

Vern

I agree wholeheartedly...excellent photos, too :hatsoff:

 

[George]

Thanks to one and all for the kind words. I promise you, I get more pleasure than I give from sharing my little tales.

Spence

 

[hellerodsyahoo.com]

thanks for sharing your time and story w/pics

 

[BillinOregon]

Spence, that is a wonderful birthday tradition. Are you wandering the hills of private lands or are you near a national forest or state park?

 

[roundball]

nice! Spence,very nice. i have probably mentioned this before but if you have not checked out Spence's website you are missing out on a lot of great info. http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/[/quote]
Amen to that...and have thanked him many times for being so unselfish in sharing his experiences...in particular referring many people to his excellent article "The Versatile Smoothbore"...his recommended .62cal turkey load helped get me off to a successful start with turkey hunting.

A few things really makes Bob stand out within our muzzleloading community:

1) He doesn't waste time with theories and formulas, just real hands on experience and facts;
2) He is unselfish in sharing his experience based facts;
3) He has an outstanding attitude and demeanor in sharing his experiences...never 'his way or the highway'...just puts them out there;

Its to all our benefit that he joined and participates in the MLF...

 

[George]

Are you wandering the hills of private lands or are you near a national forest or state park?

All private land, Bill, all on one farm which I've owned for more than 30 years. Here's a link to an old page about the farm, if you are interested:
http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/farm.html

Spence

 

[Little Wattsy]

:hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[PJC]

I did the same. My wife and I spent an afternoon in the woods before my lumbar fusion surgery. It was a majestic afternoon. My 32 cal misfired on a loose flint on a monster Boone and Crockett grey squirrel. BUT we had a little campfire by a nice creek and enjoyed some tea and home made biscuits from home. It doesn't take too much lumber or time to make a fire for tea. This photo shows our little fire, just waiting for it to die down a bit to boil water. I am still getting over the surgery and your day in the woods was sincerely enjoyed. Our squirrel season is over on Dec 15th. I am hoping to make it out for one more day in the woods before the season is over.
Thanks
Pat Cameron

 

[George]

I am hoping to make it out for one more day in the woods before the season is over.

I hope you do, Pat, but don't push it. Backs don't grow on trees, and the squirrels will be there next year.

Your post points out an important thing which I think we all tend to forget, and that is that it doesn't take a grand adventure to make a prime outing. A simple squirrel hunt, a relaxed hour in the woods shooting at stumps or just sitting on one and soaking it all in, a cup of tea in a natural setting are enough to charge your battery and bring you back to basics. For me, time spent in the woods like that is therapeutic in a way that nothing else is. Why is it so hard to learn to slow down and take advantage of Mother Nature's medicine?

Spence

 

[Skychief]

AMEN !!! :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Why is it so hard to learn to slow down and take advantage of Mother Nature's medicine?

With the leaves off the trees and sounding like corn flakes, I'd been flushing squirrels out of range and decided to sit for some instead of still-hunting/stalking. Never saw a squirrel.

BUT...at 4:00pm, I caught movement off through the trees and saw the unmistakable large black images of turkeys coming in my general direction...took forever, but eventually they crossed right in front of me at about 30-35 yards...16 turkeys, all hens, not a beard in the bunch.

The 3rd or 4th one back from the front apparently saw my orange camo cap and stopped...several others immediately stopped and they all got nervous, stretched their heads and necks way up high looking my way...after about 30-60 seconds first one, then another relaxed and went back to scratching on ahead through the leaves...a few minutes and they had all waddled out of sight.

I sat there thinking I bet I'm in a very tiny minority of the population who has had a flock of wild turkeys almost walk over their lap in the pretty fall woods...can't buy those kinds of moments.

 

[George]

:grin:

I sat there thinking I bet I'm in a very tiny minority of the population who has had a flock of wild turkeys almost walk over their lap in the pretty fall woods...can't buy those kinds of moments.

And what that can cure, they don't make a pill for. :grin:

Spence

 

[Wayne/Al]

Spence, Not much I can add to what others have said. I really enjoy your writing and pictures. Have learned a lot from you over the years.

Wayne/Al

 

[PJC]

Spence,
I really wish you would take the time to put some of your experiences under one cover, as in a book. You do a great deal to capture the experience that many are looking for. Those of us that have done many of these things quickly recognize your ability to do so when we read your words. It reads to us like our own personal memories. It takes us away to those special places that we can never get too as often as we would like.

Put me down for two books. One to read many times and an autographed copy for keeps.

Pat Cameron

 

[Randall Slemp]

I definitely can't add anything to what the others have said. So will just say Happy Birthday and thanks for keeping us inspired, especially for those of us who are beginning to get a little long in the tooth. Please keep your stories coming, you have a gift. :thumbsup: