I don’t care about size vs weight. I modify my molds strictly for hook size specifically for the plastic I use. I’ve narrowed down plastics a lot in the last 10 years so I make less difference in sizes.
Take the dive, Randy!!
Sure, and most definitely if I can spend your money
My in-laws are farmers and they used to buy a quarter (or half) and give us beef. The ground and the roasts were awesome but I was never impressed with the steaks.
Do you think this is more of a processing issue or quality when it comes to steaks specifically??
Breed and how it was fed out. The best cattle we ever raised for steaks was white face/jersy mix. Very odd cross – neighborhoods bull got out and bred a few of our whites. Anyways, the marbling was perfect. But the roasts seemed too fatty and unless seasoned heavy were very blah.
Also, just my personal opinion, if the steaks are thin, they get overcooked too easy
For inquiries on cuts and how many, depends on what you want. My neighbor like tissue paper steaks about 1/2” thick. For me, my steaks are cut minimum 1”, so he get “double” the steaks, but same weight. We cut all our roasts about 2.5# . All our hamburger is kept very lean roughly 90/10. We don’t drain any fat and we do all 1.5 # packs. My daughter does all 1# packs.
A good locker will ask plenty of questions and if it’s a first time will explain your cuts and what impacts what.
This last year, we did a steer that had Holstein. Got to admit, meat is much better than I expected. I forget the live weight, but it was a freak giant. Hanging was just over 1100# I took half and we completely filled about 24 cubic foot freezer and put over flow in another.
When guys get a quarter, I have no idea how the locker takes cut instructions or how it’s divided- I just assume the half is done then it’s one for me/one for you ????
But besides the taste quality, it’s the assortment of all the cuts. I’m picky, so certain steaks and roast cuts are private stock. As for cost, I was figuring about $2.50/# on the hang weight all in. That cost is obviously up , but when garbage burger at the store is near $5/#, I’ll eat steaks for less
Good to know
I’ve never done a 1/4, ever so I don’t know is that the butcher buying live and selling???
I only do whole and split half with someone. what is the cost for trucking, killing it and butcher?
from the USDA report:
STEERS: LIVE FOB QTY Sold WT range Trade/100 Avg
Over 80% Choice 28,318 1,345 – 1,725 188.00 – 196.00 1,554 194.62
65 – 80% Choice 1,447 1,400 – 1,602 191.00 – 195.00 1,442 192.39
35 – 65% Choice 1,772 1,300 – 1,550 190.00 – 192.00 1,384 191.01
0 – 35% Choice – –
Total all grades 31,537 1,300 – 1,725 188.00 – 196.00 1,539 194.31
Randy I copied this but I know its correct: A Garmin LVS 34 LiveScope transducer typically has a beam angle of around 20 degrees wide by 135 degrees long; meaning the sonar beam is narrow in the vertical plane (20 degrees) and wide in the horizontal plane (135 degrees)
And yes you seeing the correct depth to what ever you set it at and the width of the 20 degrees will widen the deeper you are and when in forward facing you are seeing out as far as 150′ at that width.
Hope this make sense.
That’s exactly what I was trying to find. the 135 degree long (vertical) by 20 wide makes more sense for the astronomical price. That dual angle eliminates a lot of the current dead space I currently get with a traditional cone.
how shallow are guys able to run this and have reasonable separation?
Except what we spend our money on! Everything we spend on is justifiable because we have to have it
I am one to complain about almost everything – including the stuff I want and the stuff that I need. I am so fed up with all these companies cheapening everything and diminishing much of any level of quality. Inflation is out of control and corporate greed/shareholders’ demands push every company to find a way to lesson the quality and still convince you to buy it. Maybe its my age, but I find that I have to buy more things that I need than what I want. The justification on items I want is pretty gray
Maybe boss giving you a hint to get back to work?? 
Very valid question Randy. My typical annual raise was 3% with a promotion or two that bumped it more but I didn’t double my salary to match the double in cost of a machine you use 3 months.
Precisely. I feel for my daughters and everyone in that generation now. Fortunately my girls understand that its taken me decades to acquire what I have and they are not part of that NOW generation mentality. But looking at inflation on housing, autos, clothing, food, toys…. we had so much more purchasing power 30 years ago. Just looking back at a 40K income and could cover house, truck, car, and raising a family with modest means. Today, $100K combine income is nearly nothing if you’re just starting adulthood
The last new sled I ordered had an MSRP of 7999 and it was an 800 limited edition. I did not pay MSRP. Now a 600 lists for like 15k. That’s around a 100% jump in not that long. The EPA has a lot to do with this because of the requirements which drives up costs whether it’s clean 2 stroke or 4 stroke.
Back in the 90s I was trading every year for a new one and paying $500 to boot. Those days long gone.
What was your gross income at the time of each of those milestones? (rhetorical question) I assume it was not the same rate as inflation on these machines.
Comparing it to boat inflation. My 16K 91 dynatrack would be over 100K today. If my income level increased at the same rate I would be making roughly $150K more a year
Growing up in Racine/Kenosha, I watched Chrysler, Massey, Young, Modine, Case, Johnson, and many more restructure, close down, and relocate. The economic impact it has on a community is unreal when those “good” paying jobs are gone. SE WI was a power house in manufacturing and thousands of good paying jobs fed the community, region, and state. Now, its primary job source is entry level Amazon distribution center and delivery….well there’s more, but nothing like the living that was earned prior.
Then add the political fall-out of Foxconn when the democrats booted Walker out of office and began the rants of how bad Foxconn deal was and how we needed to get out of it. Foxconn changed plans immediately and made it a cat 6 factory in lieu of the 10.5 super high end screen production plant. Wasn’t a huge Walker fan, but thank the Lord all the tax incentives was benchmarked. Evers screwed the pooch on that deal. Nealy everyone from the original deal is gone from office and it will now go nowhere.
These impacts affect the community as a whole, not just the employee/family
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JEREMY wrote:</div>
Dont think most kids had access to the kind of firearms they have access to today. You couldnt hurt the same amount of people with your grandpas Rem 870 as his AR of today. Or even the pistols people have gun safes full of.I’m not sure how much knowledge and use of firearms you have, But I think this statement is far from correct. To be honest I fear the damage in close quarters could and would be far worse with a 870 than a AR or handgun. In close quarters a 870 loaded with #4 buck shot is about as deadly as a gun gets. with a AR or handgun with each squeeze of the trigger only 1 projectile comes out with a 12 gauge 3″ #4 buck shot 41 projectiles leave the barrel with each trigger pull. With a AR or handgun far more accuracy is needed. I fear the day some crazy person figures this out and enters a school or other busy place with a shotgun with a extended tube to hold extra rounds.
HOLY CRAP. This has troubled me since Combine shooting and I never wrote it out. So freaking true. I would rather risk being shot at with 556 full metal jackets than 1 round of BB, up to buck shot and 25 feet. Dam, just the horror thinking about 5 rounds could launch almost a couple hundred projectiles. Imagine how many victims this would increase to. Hope like hell no one figures this out
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gitchi Gummi wrote:</div>
if its not access to firearms, why are school shootings so much of a problem for the US but not anywhere else?How about if it is access to firearms, why doesn’t Switzerland have the same issue as the US? And why didn’t the problem exist in the US prior to the 90’s?
Very interesting that you asked about Switzerland! Switzerland, in my opinion, leads the world for mental health resources for kids. They have an abundance of resources when compared to the U.S.
Additionally, the mindset of owning firearms in swizt is very different than here. We are very defensive of our 2A, hunting and personal defense is our primary reasoning for ownership. Most documented reasoning for ownership in Swizterland is defense of country. Here I own because its my right, there its treated as an honor so to speak.
I think that carries over to the mindset used within the home. Here in the US, (my opinion) people are much more relaxed on storage, accessibility, ammo storage, and easy accessibility to their kids. Heck, I’m as guilty as anyone on this. Until we had a mental health issue in our home, safes and walk-in safe room was not the norm. Everyone I knew had firearms under the bed, closet,…. In Switzerland you have many less hunters and sport shooters & it is very much a common practice to maintain a very secure placement of your firearm. I’ve built a couple homes in Colorado for people from Switzerland and had many conversations on this as well as a very good friend that lives there more than half the year. Yes, thats a small sampling, but very consistent.
More of my opinions since I’m at it. If teachers and counselors could have conversations about the observations they see without having so called parents blow up and get all sue happy and threaten the districts to get them fired.
If more parents were responsible for their kids
If parents could afford to take more time off from work to be part of the health care demands that need to be made
If we could get a nation wide effort in demanding research and understanding into the MH issues we have
If we could get the F’n insurance companies out of the political arena of this
We are slowly cracking the negative stigma of mental illnesses. We need a very hard push in general education for the general public to have a better understanding of different types/levels of mental illnesses out there.
We need to break this ugly Us/Them – You/me….division in this country. Need to stop the hate because your liberal and someone else is conservative. The balance of what is best is in the middle. NOT on the far left or far right. I now have a couple neighbors I can’t even talk to. The extreme levels have taken so many people off the deep ends of the spectrum.
We need to enforce the more than abundance of laws we already have in this country. Not the select that serves one’s needs, but all of them. Crap laws need to be corrected. Read any proposed red flag law. So dam lopsided. They get written in such a hasty manor to take away, but provide NO provisions for innocent or falsely accused gun owners. Make them balanced and you get support. One sided and were still at the you/me stage
Accountability – I grew up with a fear of getting caught meant my dad had to pay the price. Believe me, it was a FEAR. If I screwed up (and got caught) I hoped like heck it was anyone but my Dad. That belt left some mighty big welts on my arze. But it goes further. If you have MI child, you have a responsibility to your child, your family, and society. Chose to ignore that and there needs to be consequences. That should be a pride thing, not just another law that won’t be enforced.
I remember the FL-8s being $300 25+ years ago
LMAO yes, I’m that old….. 
you can find it at $399
and I thought people were out of their minds for flasher price when they jumped for $60. to $119.
Just an idiot question – what major advances have taken place with Vex since the Sitex days? I have a few FL-8’s and never looked any any newer vexilars.
I agree. Wife’s been in the school district for about 22yrs, daughter in 6th yr, and nieces are teachers. Absolutely disgusting how pathetic many parents are. False accusations, lazy, non committed, threatening, ……. And these are the people that are supposed to be raising their kids. Thank god when one of these kids have a few exceptional teachers because that’s their only hope.
Need more info. Open basin chasing crappies or shallow slough for gills? Popular area where everyone piles into a tiny area like flies on a turd?
In shallow /crowded areas I’ll drill a crap load of holes. Better to disturb the area once rather than have the next 10 guys slip in and each drill holes 10 minutes apart. In community spots, open holes are fair game.
If I’m chasing eyes or crappies in open basin, and I’m by myself, ya I get ticked off when I get crowded by people. That’s just a blatant lack of respect and I respond accordingly
If only our country had the same sympathy for kids getting gunned downed as they do wealthy CEOs of huge companies.
T’s and P’s arent getting us anywhere.
We’re the only country that has school shootings of this scale in this frequency and severity.
It’s reported nearly 60 million girls are sexually assaulted each year at school globally and yet all you hear is crickets. Not saying that school shoots are not a crisis, but there are so many victims of so many different school related crimes that never get mentioned. We have a much larger issue in society at so many levels.
I don’t have individual country statistics, but globally per WHO, 193,000 child homicides happen per year making it one of the deadliest causes for kids 12-17. I would hate to be a kid today in this world
Matt, you considering trades? I have a stick I’m thinking about parting with. If so, what else would you be willing to add in. As much as I would like air conditioning in my pole barn, these sticks are a valuable commodity. Besides air conditioning, I need a newer 21’ walleyes rig.
Just a few of the valuable uses:
Baseball bat
Hockey sticks
Fly rod
Fishing pole
Walking stick/ cane
Weapon of mass destruction
Poker
Depth gauge
Object retrieving
Attitude adjuster
Hammer
And the list goes on and on
Another company to reach out to may be Radians. They have a complete line from cheap to great quality.
Nice Erie pig 
I’ll see if I can find the pic (old film / actual pictures) of a giant body buck I took. One I remember field dressed out was 238# on our hang scale and I was about 95# meat. I know mixing 15% beef with it put over 100#. Other one I remember was like butchering a small elk. Didn’t weigh that one
Randy, the link you posted is broken…
I clicked the middle one a hundred times and all I got out of it was a boner
Careful kid, you’ll shoot your eye out
My thoughts on off topics. I respect the few that only want a strict fish/hunt – outdoors site. Likewise I respect those that want to go way off into the gutter. After nearly 4 decades of being a resource for people in all aspects of the outdoors, I get bored with it. If anyone realized how many hours I have spent on the phone explaining how to pitch a blade bait, you’ld think I would be the next to be criminally insane. The off topic discussions are what makes us more real. Humans with logical and very illogical thinking. It helps to blow some steam, complain about the things we don’t directly control, and ruffle a few feathers. It also gives a chance to laugh and find humor in others’ accomplishments and disasters. In my aging mind, I’ve come to realize that all the pleasures I have in life arrive from how tranquil disconnect from a crazed society I live amongst.
So often I see topics I cant stomach, like modern day foolsball, sport figures that think they are god’s gift to mankind, and so on. I know if I get started on that, I don’t let off so I avoid them. But in so many other aspects, we gain so many life experiences that talking about things or sharing can actually help others outside of just fishing and hunting.
I have discontinued using all but about 2 forums anymore. I come back here regularly even though the site is only up until????? and I go on Trapperman. Both are moderated well and most topics are not allowed to derail very far. Regardless, I do enjoy contributing to more than just fish/hunt. If those restraints were in place – goodbye
Maybe we need filter buttons when we go on forums. Fishing only, hunting only, and EVERYTHING
For-Fishing-only-press-left.jpg
I despise what drones have become. Especially on the battlefield. I hope some successful drone defenses are created soon.
There are some. I agree that on a battlefield there is another dimension of warfare that’s unknown. However, when Iran launched all those missiles across Iraq and Saudi air space, there were 35 year old “kids” sitting in a bunker playing video games shooting them down with drones. The pros/cons of drone use is one that can be easily debated. As selfish as it may seem, I want that technology tested somewhere else before it is desperately needed here
Holy crap Randy that is hitting a little too close to home! This really sucks as they all do. I just wish these kids would get the help they need instead of resorting to stuff like this
Ya, this one is in the back yard so to speak. Neither Lindsey or my niece were in danger, it’s just a moment or wow, that’s close.
CM, it’s not the kids getting help as if help is readily available, it’s if help is available for these kids at all. I haven’t shared much about Olivia. Many here have watched my daughters grow up having an amazing childhood. As Olivia hit high school- 8th – 10 grade, we saw the change. Withdrawals from friends, uncontrollably bouts of anxiety and depression. We seeked help, and she was made a test animal. Total BS how she got put on poop drugs that Fn doctors had no clue on what they would do. More than 10 years of let’s see what this will do. Until you’ve held your crying child in your arms holding on for dear life with absolutely no one out there than can help you, you just don’t know how hard it is. I’ve begged, I’ve pleaded, I’ve spent a fortune and nothing, nadda, not a dam thing.
All I can say about these shootings is I have a hard time with the parents. Many are in denial and don’t realize how serious of a situation they may have. Love isn’t being passive. You can hate the situation, but get off your dead beat ass and do everything you can to help your child and protect the safety of others. I’m losing it, have a good night
Daughter just called me. She was at the hospital for my grandson’s quarterly breathing test when the gates of hell opened up. They just got done and was walking to the ramp to get in their car when the ambulances and other responders were pulling in.
My niece just bought a home nearly next to the school. She’s a teacher at a different school and the family joke has been she needs to change schools so she would have a 1 minute walk to work.
These shootings just keep getting closer and closer. No one is immune and you can’t stop a lone wolf type attack. Just heard the family of the shooter is cooperating an helping LE. Its just so tragic to everyone affected by these 
