Ground Hog Hide Hunting Pouch

[jon math]

Based off a pattern found in Jim Webb’s Southern Mountain Pouches book. I have a nice little day hunt sized horn to add to it, but the pouch itself is finished. It’s about 7” square, more than enough for a handful of balls, some patching, tin of caps, a cleaning jag, and a straight edge razor for patch cutting and small game cleaning.

This will accompany the rifle I’ve had problems getting to fire that so many members here helped me sort out!

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Very nice! :thumbsup:

 

[azmntman]

:shocked2: I WANT THAT!! :thumbsup:

 

[Artificer]

Very nice! I have shot Whistle Pigs before, but have never seen the hides tanned. How thick is the leather?

Gus

 

[Gene L]

I think it's relatively thin and very tough. Mountain people used to make banjo heads with it and use strips for shoestrings.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Nice groundhog. Nice whistle piggie. :grin:
I like the ded ones.
Actually, nice bag and good use of a nusiance critters hide. :thumbsup:

 

[jon math]

Gene is correct it is thin but tough. I hope the hair does not come out with use.

 

[Artificer]

Then it seems really good for a small day pouch and like Rifleman said, a great use for a nuisance critter's hide.

If the hide was well tanned, the hair will eventually come out, but not shed quickly. That is accurate in the period as well.

Gus

 

[wattlebuster]

cool :thumbsup:

 

[hanshi]

That's a truly neat bag.

 

[Micah Clark]

That's pretty . . . I am not a varmint hunter, I don't shoot anything I am not going to eat . . so its nice to see the animal put to use in that bag.

 

[erock1980]

Nice bag!

 

[Don Steele]

Where I grew up in Kentucky, and in later life in Tennessee groundhogs were considered normal tablefare. :thumbsup:

 

[jon math]

They should be good eating they eat better than the deer do around here :grin: My wife's strictly organic garden would get cleaned out if I did not reduce the population.

They are very hard to skin.

 

[erock1980]

They should be good eating they eat better than the deer do around here :grin: My wife's strictly organic garden would get cleaned out if I did not reduce the population.

They are very hard to skin.

Compared to what, a rabbit? They skin plenty easy after you do it once or twice.

And yes if you have a garden or a farm here in the northeast you basically have no choice but to kill them when you can. At least they make good bags!

 

[sidelock]

Hide makes great shoe strings, and laces for anything you want a string for. I have several rifle slings I made using ground hog strings rather than metal clasps. Very tough, and when young some good eating. I've killed hundreds, many with my .50 TC.

 

[MSW]

nice looking bag!

 

[ron wehmeyer]

To be honest when I read the title , I did not expect to see a bag that looked that good. It came out very nice . Thanks for the Look. RW

 

[Tallswife]

Beautiful! Enjoy it!

 

[jon math]

Thanks all, it was pretty simple in design. The plans are shown here. I guess you could get fancy with edging, welted seams, inside pockets, lining etc., but I like clean bags and kept it primitive.