WEEKEND WORK

   Trying to prepare for next hunting season is a lot of work. It is a never ending battle fighting the jungle of briars and brush that's overtaking the trails and crossings through the woods near my hunting stands. Not having a fortune of money to go and rent some heavy equipment to do my dirty work for me, I must resort to a chainsaw, weed eater, and limb lopers and a lot of sweat and muscles.

   It looks like a wall of brush, but after a few hours of whacking away at it you can start to see a little headway. The side effects are a tired achy body covered in sweat and brush clippings, and a good old blister. The upside is the area is looking better and maybe it will be manageable between now and the start of the season.

   There are other stand locations that need attention as well. A couple of new stands need to be put up. Since I am on DAY 9 of my year long experiment, why not apply it to deer hunting ? A home made deer stand will still cost some money, but not as much as a commercially made one, and it will definitely be made out of better material.

   A lot of people are talking about bartering these days as I way of getting things you need. I have been able to acuire some things I need by salvage. It is amazing what people throw away these days. Even things that could easily be sold to someone is trashed. We have become a disposable society. It is too much trouble to bother with, so people just throw good things away.

   Recently I found building materials, paint, tools, and appliances that only need a little cleaning up. A recent find was a complete wooden deck that had been abandoned. All it took was a little muscle to relocate. Salvaging beats paying for it all day long. Just another way to save money and fend for yourself.

Jim Cobb Coleman.