Motivation

[ozarkmountainman]

It's hard. Sloggin' thru the mud, getting scratched up by every rose thorn in the woods. The cost of gas. The damn aches and pains (just about worse than ever, and I'm in the best shape of my adult life. Go figure). And time. Time is everything. And don't forget the possible PAYDAY. You betcha.

So getting motivated is harder than ever. I've got five 'cat sets out. One and two nights so far. Went to set more this morning, drove down the road a few miles, got out of the truck once and did a little look around (slogging thru the mud and the rose thorns to do it), passed by several spots where the 'cats have bit over the years, then thought of the work back at the Ranch that has to get done, came home and worked up and delivered a load of wood for the restaurant. And here I am.

I still have time today to get more sets in. Tonight will be a better night to trap kitties. But I'm probably not going to. Sigh.

I need to go deer hunting. I've hunted very little and only taken one. I'm running out of time for that too and we're THICK with whitetail.

I have too many hobbies, maybe. I fish- fishing does now take precedence and maybe always will. The YouTube stuff takes time, but I don't take it very seriously, and they even send me MONEY each month. Sigh.

I also get paid to write articles for the Trapper's Post. Mike always asks for more, and they pay me also. But it's that motivation thang again.

Actually, the stupid fur prices are what they are and will never be the cause of my lack of motivation to trap. Never. I've done it for no money for so many years that this, while maybe being a new low, is nothing new. It's never gonna get good enough to pay for the work, so I got over it. In 1987...

Sometimes I feel that I'm the last man standing. My neighbor Bruce Berg is trapping, but it's a paid job for the fish hatchery down the road. That money thing again. Customers come in the restaurant every week and ask if I'm trapping. I tell them that "I'm going to", and I mean it. I do.

Did I mention that I've had five bobcat sets out for the past two (and one) night(s)?

I'm an embarrassment to myself.

Well, I'm not done. There's too many critters and I've got to get to it. Next week I go to the creek, and sometime before it's all over I have a 6500 acre lease in Knox County that a friend wants me to go try to do some damage on. He wants everything gone that I can get gone. There's a house to stay in, I can use his UTV's- all I have to do is show up with my equipment. It'll mean taking off from work (maybe shutting down the restaurant for a weekend, how's THAT for silly), but I'm going to do it. It'll be an adventure.

And it may make for something to write about for the Trappers Post.

Motivation. It sucks. Maybe I need a testosterone shot?

Dale

[bigbob]

It's that old age thing. It comes for us all!

[bigjohn]

Just be thankful those cat places still exist. Many and I mean many places I've taken cats are gone now.I'm not talking a couple of acres but hundreds of acres. Sad but a sign of the times.

[ozarkmountainman]

Yep, we're losing hundreds and hundreds of acres around here. Farmers have a thing against trees, and these construction guys are building crap EVERYWHERE. Very sad. I'm glad I won't be around here in 30 years to see the end of it all.

Dale

[krank]

This year has been a wake up call for me personally. A couple health issues that arent that major but I can't lift anything or move around too fast or stay out in the cold. It's getting better but if I push it then they will be major issues.
Meanwhile I still stay busy. I got deer in the freezer as well as many furs to tan. I have a bunch of hobbies to keep me piddling.
What really gets me is I have had ten days off for the holidays and totally wasted them (lived like other people who are happy indoors)
I just wanted to go down to deer camp and sit by the fire and cook and hunt but decided I had better not. Not up to it now.
So this too shall pass.

When I was a little kid, old timers born in the 1890's told me fur was down for good and there are too many people around to trap in peace.

Bad thing lately is farmers are figuring out hunting leases. Guys that used to say we could hunt are now telling us to stay out it is leased. I had one old farmer tell me his deer leases are better profit than farming.

The 160 across the road is wheat with a few trees. The guy that owns it is a real jerk to talk to. Always was according to the wife. He leased that ground for big money to some poor guy from Minnesota. Everyday during gun season, he walked back a half a mile and sat in his blind and never saw anything. He would go to town for a hotel and be parked on the side of the road before sun up. It poured one night and the next day he got his van stuck. He come to the house wanting pulled out. We pulled him out and he said all his gear was way out there and it would take him all day to carry it out. I told him to hop in the ATV and we drove back there and got all his gear and didnt rut it up too bad. I told him he didnt owe the landowner any apologies and I would tell him to buzz off if he showed up. He was a crook for calling that deer land and leasing it for an outrageous sum. Minnesota Joe sat in my house and drank coffee for a while and went back to Minnesota. I almost told him to sit out on my place but we hadnt seen any bucks lately and Joe had enough.

Right now is a terrible time to build or buy land. Both are more than twice what they are worth.But none the less, we got them buying farmland and building ritzy houses and burning up that road from here to the city in their so called SUVs. They are fascinated and scared of coyotes and buy firewood for their fire pit and have really stupid dogs running loose. I am sorry but they aint country folk and they dont belong out here and never will.

[mmaxwell]

Hey Dale, and everyone else.
I can help you with all those aches and pains, eat 100% carnivore for 90 days and it will change your life, I guarantee it.
I ate nothing but bacon and eggs for breakfast, no lunch, just lots of water all day and then just steak for supper for 90 days.
95% percent of my pain from all my past broken bones is gone, lost 60lbs as well and I feel better than ever.
If you stick to it as strick as I did it will work, if you cheat even a little nothing will change, it has to be zero carbs and zero sugar to work. 7 months later I am still doing it for the most part.
Doesn't matter how much you eat either, I eat 5 to 7 eggs and 1/2 pound of bacon for breakfast to get me through the day without lunch and eat 2 steaks for supper.
Good Luck :-)

[krank]

My brother was big on Atkins diet. Eat the burger and throw the bun away. He lost a lot of weight.

[segsarge]

Motivation is pretty hard for me to find right now. Those super cold days put me right back where I was last year with my well. It was so cold that the heat tape couldn't keep the pipes from freezing. There's a broken pipe someplace under the house and we have no water. Haven't had for a couple of weeks now. Same as last year, no pressure on the tank gauge in the well house. Don't Know if the water tank froze and ruined the bladder or what. Everything out there was brand new. So...here I go again. It's getting really old (and expensive)in a hurry. Some days I just feel like saying screw it and move into an apartment in town.

[krank]

A lot of people had plumbing disorders during that cold snap. I used to crawl under my old house like a lizard but I weighed 165#. I cant do that stuff anymore. Pay some skinny kid to fix the pipe.
I got to make room in the furshed to tan a bear. I am getting a locker beef so that sucker is coming out of the deep freezer. It has the skull and claws on it.(a friend in NY state mailed it to me frozen) I am not doing a taxidermy rug with the open mouth and claws. I am just making a bear rug like they really would have had on the frontier.

[bigbob]

Just got my plumbing problems settled enough to turn the Aqua back on. Ever hear of "Shark Bites"? Amazing bit of technology.

[tickranch]

Feb 1, 2024 16:29:03 GMT -6 bigbob said:

Just got my plumbing problems settled enough to turn the Aqua back on. Ever hear of "Shark Bites"? Amazing bit of technology.

They are also great for repairing your garden hose.  Better than hose clamps, as there isn't that extra bit of metal that always cuts me!  


CORRECTION:  I'm using the Pex stuff, but Shark Bites will probably do the same thing

[segsarge]

Hopefully, I got my water lines fixed (almost) it's a patched up mess right now. Still not able to turn the water back on and had to replace the water holding tank. Might have it ready to go tomorrow.

[Walleye Joe]

Feb 1, 2024 16:29:03 GMT -6 bigbob said:

Just got my plumbing problems settled enough to turn the Aqua back on. Ever hear of "Shark Bites"? Amazing bit of technology.

I've been  using Sharkbite fittings for years. Simple and fast. Both PVC and copper. Never had a problem. A little pricey but it keeps me in the game! 

[krank]

I learned about shark bites when I had to replace my shower faucets. I had ran copper line while bathroom was in rough in stages. I did leave an access but it was inside the towel closet. So here I am with a propane torch burned the heck out of everything tried to sweat fittings with water still in the pipe (yes I crammed bread in there.) Went to bed frustrated with water turned off. Next day at work a welder told me to get some dang sharkbites.
My Dad has a gizmo to unlock them once installed.

[Walleye Joe]

Feb 2, 2024 7:18:38 GMT -6 krank said:

My Dad has a gizmo to unlock them once installed.

I don't have one, but I've seen them in action. 
Here's a DIY tip. We already have the tools.
 

[segsarge]

Making progress, sorta, with the water. The pressure gauge for the tank wouldn't move off zero. As a last resort, I took a real hard look at the gauge. Damn thing was BROKEN. Another trip to town. After the new gauge was on, I turned the water back on. Pressure hit 40 psi and steady.
Headed back to the house and I could hear water running. Back under the house and discovered I had 2 new leaks.

[Walleye Joe]

OMG! Sarge, I can image your frustration and I hope you can find a permanent fix.

[segsarge]

Once things dry out, I'm going to run all new water lines through the whole place. Going to try using PEX pipe. With all the rain we had, it's like a swamp under the house.

[bigbob]

Anytime you turn off the water, when you turn it back on, go slow, just crack the valve and let it build up pressure SLOWLY, otherwise the slam of the water and air can bust the solder joints, and OH CRAP!

[krank]

Worst trouble I ever had was helping an old man that had pipes in the ceiling.