Thank you for writing this, Randy. Takes me back to moving in to my parents house to spend 8 weeks of hospice with my old man before he passed. Hardest time of my life but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Your perspective is spot on. Allow yourself to feel relief and even joy when he is no longer suffering. And know that he appreciates you.
We bought a 6×8 electric (steam) outdoor sauna about a year ago and use it even more than I thought we would (I’d say 5 nights/week in winter and 3 in summer). Great way to relax before bed, sweating out stuff, and seem to avoid or kick respiratory gunk a lot faster.
Bought it from this company out of Delano:
Owner Jedd is a very nice guy and super responsive on a few custom details we wanted. Ikki corner heater has been great.
Lessons learned:
– Think about venting and flooring. Ours is built on skids, so we can move it when we move, but that means with cedar plank flooring, we need to put mats down on floor for cold months (not a problem, just something we didn’t anticipate).
– Get the biggest heater you can for the size of your sauna. Every sauna takes a while to heat up but a bigger heater will get it up quicker.
– Get a heater that you can turn on through your phone. It is pretty great to be somewhere outdoors and turn on the sauna knowing it will be ready when you get home.
I’ve never shot a back tension but have always had the same curiosity and would like to try one out. I use a nock2it, which is basically a Carter wise choice thumb release. I have a feeling I’d be a better shooter if I trained with a back tension. Hunting with one sounds risky, though (surprise release not ideal)
Had a doe at 30, but no bucks came through. Saw a nice one on the drive home (of course).
Left my headlamp in the car. Made for an interesting walk out. I thought I did OK until I got home and realized I had lost 2 arrows out of my quiver.
Super calm tonight (and I was sweating balls by the time I got set up). Hoping to see one walk across this trail…
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Congrats to both of you.
Michael, I appreciate all of your posts these past few weeks. I’m itching to get out there.
I’d pull a few of the best covers off and all of his fishing reports and frame them together. Would make a great heirloom and tribute.
I’m going to throw my hat into the ring in New Mexico this year (deadline March 20). I figure I’ve blown money on worse things and it would be pretty sweet if I actually get drawn.
If not NM, likely OTC in Colorado.
Did not expect to see this thread back up today! Ha!
I hunted out there 3 mornings over the course of the season. Saw a few does the first morning and then something came up downwind of me on my next sit and blew before running off but I never got a look. Didn’t get a deer this past fall. Hoping to get out scouting in the next month or so and can’t wait for October.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jon. Jane’s obituary is a beautiful tribute – what a great companion.
Congrats, man!
That’s a steal, esp with the rest. Congrats.
I have a Pelican V730 for my 34 inch bow. Fits great. It has been overkill so far, but I bought it with visions of airline travel someday.
I think the technology is already there. Set up 360 degree imaging and a split screen in the goggles. No value in viewing the opaque water surface when you can just turn your head and see an image of the fish at the exact depth and distance.
The future… (I just created this image with AI).
The best part is that the reel is upside-down.
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Between this phone and my job in front of a computer, I have no desire to look at a screen while out on the lake. I’m comfortable if that means I’ll catch less fish.
Thank you Michael for the detailed and helpful response. I somehow missed it until today. I’ll check out that Randy Newberg Video.
Point creep really is insane. When you look at cost to purchase points (which seems to be rising) saving for an outfitter or private land hunt may be a better option for those once in a lifetime experiences.
Amen, Jon, and thank you.
This is an outdoors site. Plenty of other places for people to post political things.
What a great story – glad buster pulled through.
Thanks for these reports, Cookie! Love hearing the latest.
And to further geek out, they make an appearance in the final paragraph of one of my favorite books (The Road by Cormac McCarthy):
“Once there were brook trout in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow. They smelled of moss in your hand. Polished and muscular and torsional. On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes. Of a thing which could not be put back. Not be made right again. In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery.”
I love brookies. For my money, the most beautiful freshwater fish. Those red dots with the blue rings…
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Love the Danner Vitals that I bought in 2020. Super comfortable and light. I’ve worn these for all of my outdoor activities here in MN and Wisconsin, and 3 full weeks in the mountains putting on miles. No durability issues yet. I doubt they’ll last like a pair of heavy duty workboots or hiking boots, but I see that as a trade off for the light weight and comfort.
You’re a good man, Dave. I really appreciate your time and energy spent on the site.
I go to Schaffer for my compound/hunting stuff, but Bwana is where I would go for help with a recurve. All good people.
Very cool, Randy.
A few weeks ago, I had my grandpa’s late 1940s bolt-action 20ga (Mossberg 185D) once-overed and test fired by a gunsmith and I look forward to taking it pheasant hunting next fall. There’s a solid quality to the wood and action that just feels different than modern guns.
I’ve hunted Colorado archery elk twice on OTC tags (which are unlimited so you can just pick up when you get out there) and Montana once on a general tag that I drew on zero points in 2020 (which I do not think is likely in 2024).
New Mexico is a state that has no point system so it is a true lottery but residents take precedence and it is an expensive gamble. I have never applied.
I’ve yet to shoot an elk, but if I had advice to give for OTC I’d say get away from roads. Anywhere that people can get into with their trucks/campers and side by sides gets pretty inundated.
Hunting and hiking on your feet and trying to call elk is a blast. I can’t wait to go again.
That’s a fantastic view, HH.
Lots of turkey chatter out here tonight. Saw a group of 4 does this morning but that’s it so far
Last sit today. Feels like October.
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Thank you, Dave. I appreciate your work and time.
Good luck to all making it out. I wasn’t able to get away this weekend – my last hurrah will be the 17th. Until then I keep checking back here for others’ success.
