BilletHead

Ronnie, you should try it. Be not afraid the cheese will be with you. Just don't get it too hot. Imagine a five pound grilled cheese sandwich without bread all over the smoker dripping off the racks and bubbling on the heating element. Still able to salvage some that time. Man what a mess. Scott, Wonder how to do that? I would think the heating element would just fry the bacon to a crisp? Burnt bacon cheese? Sounds like a new Dorito flavor. BilletHead

Ran 10 pounds of sharp cheddar through the smoker this morning. Been wanting to do this for some time. It has been too hot. The trick is to keep the temp below 90 degrees. Even today I had to crack the door some to keep the temp down enough. Had a great cheese meltdown once and I never want this again. Depending on your taste an hour to two is all you need. I usually go two hours. We use five pound blocks and slice it to sticks. Five pounds will give you sixteen 6"X2"X3/4" sticks. When out I let the cheese cool and then wrap in plastic wrap leaving wrap between each stick. Wrap tight and into the fridge where they will begin to get happy as the smoke flavor enhances. I have used alder, hickory before but today special blend. Special blend? I suppose it is what saw dust they have left to mix into the bisquets my smoker takes. It's all been good before and this batch too. Almost got a stick taken care of. Done pepper jack, Colby jack and mozzarella too. Colby jack and sharp cheddar we like the best. just thought I would share and maybe you would like to smoke some for yourselves. BilletHead

Good going Scott. Nothing around here to speak of. Moving through some. On a pond one day and gone the next, BilletHead

Outstanding on the teal Mr. Four. Sorry about the dog. One day I will try a lab but right now we have a humane society special and I could not bring another dog into her life. Like you if the next dog doesn't hunt it will be ok as my next dog will be part of the family, BilletHead

Lets see, Mr. Bird Watcher there is a bunch of geese gathering every few days over at yadda, yadda, yaddas place. You know the little family groups now flying well getting to know the neighbors. Spied a nice flock of blue wings over at that other yadda, yadda place just a few minutes ago. Might try to hunt them with Mrs. BilletHead Saturday morning. Most likely they will just jet out but who knows may do a fly by a bit later giving us a fast shot or two. Fishing? You Chris and my hairdresser know for sure but no exact locations for general pubic. Most places I go will not take too much pressure like you have limited small places. My fishing buddy does share knowledge with others some. Likes to take them out and that is ok and his choice. I like to be a bit stingy, maybe too much. BilletHead

Scott either you only had a quarter of a bird left after a shot or you got to claim part of a bird that got tapped by four shots! My camera is a Nikon D3100. Have the lens it came with 18-55 and then bought a 55-200. Everything I have shot so far is in the automatic for dummies mode. I need to learn how to use it to the full extent someday. Bought and did a camo job on a pelican type case. Drag the thing around almost everywhere I go and yes I know it would of helped the load if I had left it in the truck.<br />On another note when I was on my scouting trip paddling out I had already put the camera away and a coyote came out of some of the marsh grass and walked across the open water right in front of me. I said why did I not still have the camera out? Now to today at the same exact time I assume the same coyote took the same path across the water. I was farther back and again camera in box. He got into some grass and vanished to re appear in another spot of open water. Heard some rustling and out he came with something in his mouth. Couldn't tell what and then vanish into the tall grass again.<br />BilletHead

Hahahah , The guy in the front was the one pulling his buddy around and you should of seen his face when I said "young man could you help me when you get a chance?" I bet he thought oh crap what now? Then when he helps me load up he says hey this thing is light! I thought just wait someday you will be asking for help. Thanked him a couple of times as I walked around all bent over. Now I get to check out the barge. Guy in the back says I built this but it doesn't float in three inches of water like the directions say. Don't think it helped they had two dozen mallard floaters in the two bags. Who knows what else was in there. Then I ask did you build the motor. Yes I did but I think I am going to build a bigger boat and a bigger motor. You should of seen the young guys face then! BilletHead

He scores again! But I won't try this again in this place. OK finally went to where I had seen all the birds a couple of days before season. That day I was able to paddle the kayak all the way back to the honey hole. This place had been hit pretty hard by others. One word evaporation. Able to paddle this morning about 2/3 of the way. Should of turned around. I will be paying for my mistake. Had to pull part of the way. Pulling not too hard but walking in the mud was. Got to where I wanted to go and got set up, again glasses fogged up. Seen two rather large flocks of teal. Sky high one bunch going North and the other West. A flock of eight big ducks and numerous woodies. At least five other hunters besides me. One shot taken by all and it was me with one teal. A single came right in. You heard it here BilletHead only had to shoot one shell. A guy could of had a heyday on snipe, they were everywhere a few rail too. Only one skeeter tried to bite and one cotton picking horsefly got me on the ankle at the truck. When driving off you could hear the big black horseflies pinging off the truck as they attacked it. These two guys had to drag their rig more than I. I had to ask the young buck to help me load the kayak, like I said I over did it and will not try this again.At one time I watched these fellows trying to get to there set up. One was in the boat running the motor and the other was trying to drag him. Teal hunters are sometimes not too smart. That was me this morning and it fit me well, My bird and todays transportation to the marsh, BilletHead

Your not weird Bird Watcher but your avatar is, Babe I love it!<br />Justin I have been using my modified in my vinci for the last couple of years. I really tear up birds badly sometimes. I will be using my improved modified this season. Never even had it in my gun until this season. Picked off my second teal this morning with kent teal steel #5s. What dove I have found it worked well too with #8s.<br />BilletHead who needs to shoot paper more often like Fins and Feathers.

That would work Ronnie but I could only use it if it had a plug to limit my shells. Chris I wonder the same thing as I pondered what I was really looking at while hunting this morning. I know one thing is if they do what you took me to experience late last season and want company again you know where to find me BilletHead

Yes Chris all the low stuff was under the water too long. A couple of weeks ago it smelled so sour it would turn your stomach. Smartweed and native plants with seeds look good. Planted crops are a bust. Some high stuff might be ok but not sure how high they pump those spots? BilletHead

Scott the arrows are chundoo pine. Got a hundred shafts a long time ago and these I made up with what I had left. The shafts are dyed with rit and denatured alcohol mix. You Mr. Snake man should know RED TOUCH YELLOW KILL A FELLOW. Coral snake colors. Cheesy I know but wanted to dye the shafts and I bet no one else has any like these Feathers dyed with rit also. After stripping and grinding feathers put them in warm water that has some dish soap in it. Doesn't take much and swish them around. Don't even rinse of the soapy water. Put them in hot rit dye that has some vinegar mixed in. This will allow the dye to set. Swish around in the dye mix. Pull them out and drop in a cold water bath. When dry chop to desired shape. Parabolic is all I use now. I did shoot shield that I used a feather burner on but did not like the smoke ring it left on the finished wood shaft. Sold the burner and bought a chopper. Ness I am a simple but complicated guy Ask questions and I will try to answer the best I can. Osage orange self bows rule until you can't shoot them any more, BilletHead

I know one thing I am just a little smarter than one teal, not much but a little. I knew where a bunch of teal were as photos show in my previous thread but cannot and will not fight a bunch of people on public ground especially where this season like last there is limited water for hunters and birds. Saturday morning the Mrs. and I hit a large irrigation lake and got to watch the sunrise together with out any birds seen. No problem quality time with the wife! Sunday morning found us up early for a drive to the public ground to see what pressure was going on day two. Found five trucks on two access points plus an empty game warden truck at five minutes before legal shooting hours. We waited and at LST Sunday 6:53 AM we were there to hear some gunshots. Could see birds with binoculars buzzing around. Seen what I wanted to see there, pressure and a bunch of it as I expected. Then we drove to another area. No hunters that morning but evidence there had been the day before by the trash laying around. Did see three birds there in the marsh and then another fifteen or so dump in on them. Cool I thought. Not much there but a plan started to unfold. Now this morning up early and off the launching pad I go. Got to where I wanted to go, unloaded the kayak. Slid it down the bank and began to load some gear. As I shove off another truck drove by. Plenty of time to set up. paddle to the spot of yesterdays bird landing and set up. No good place to make a hide but I had on a leafy bug proof top and set up beside a bush in the water that had some leaves on it. paddle the kayak away from the hide and proceed to stumble to the set up. Get set down and wondered how close to shooting time it was. Crapola no phone in pocket. Back to the kayak and paddle back to the truck. Get the phone, alright several minutes until sunrise and shooting time at 6:54 this morning at my location. I walk closer to see a teal in the decoys. I keep going and the little bluewing keeps one eye on me and the other eye on his new found plastic friends. I get as close as five yards of the bird as I set down again. Look at the phone, three minutes to go time. Pull the mesh hood over my head and face. Teal gets nervous and starts swimming away. Then from the heat and moisture my glasses fog up. Cant see the teal any more. Pull glasses down on nose and peek over them, bird there farther out. Look at phone, two more minutes. Hold phone and watch the time and the bird. When time hit I stood up, put phone on seat as bird took off. He is a bit far and I shoot once. Miss! Shoot again, Miss but third time was the charm and he went down. Yes I know three shots? Yep it was three so I reload and proceed to get my prize. Then he decided to swim away and he could swim faster than I can stumble sooooooo a fourth shot put us both out of our misery. May try again in a couple of days. The hide, The set up, The hard earned gift, BilletHead

Went and like Fins and Feathers not much luck a report will follow, BilletHead

Yessiree! buddy. Did not walk back too far but could see smartweed around the edges. I thought you would want to know the scoop BilletHead

I have a few there and a few here. A bunch will change by early season for us. Maybe there will be corn cut by then? It has been a crazy Summer for sure. BilletHead

Well crapola forgot to turn on the GPS Scott. Yes geese hanging around there too. I do have to tell you there is water in Flight Lake for the first time in two summers, BilletHead

The fully flocked up flock, say that three times fast! All done and have been for a while. Just got all the heads installed. Some of the floaters had never been flocked before and they took the paint and flocking real well. All in all it was not too bad of a job and the good help I had made it better. Mrs. BilletHead has a steady hand for the painting part. They are all nesting in storage for the upcoming season, BilletHead

It will be here this Saturday morning. Shot these this morning for your viewing pleasure. It got my heart pounding a bit. BilletHead

looks good Scott. I just had chicken fried goose with mashed potatoes and goose gravy! BilletHead

Njadar, Jars boiled and lids heated. Sauce mix boiling when ladled into hot jars. All of the ingredients out of sealed containers before heating. When opening the jar out of the pantry store unused portion in fridge. Before making this batch we just opened a jar we did last November. Was as good as the day we had sealed the jar that winter day. Gavin look for a PM BilletHead

Well done Scott! you too Duane. While running around looking at ponds yesterday morning we did see a group of six teal. Hopefully more will show up this week. BilletHead

Went out the last couple of mornings trying our dove hunting luck. Not much with no crops cut. Did find a few in a weed lot that had been brush hogged. Three for me yesterday with no shots for the bride. This morning she got three and I one. Some neat photos to share. Big weather difference between yesterday morning where it was pretty warm and humid early and this morning a cool 60 degrees and some fog blankets, BilletHead

Like that smile on that youngster! BilletHead

Way to go Duane and your MC !