TIS THE SEASON

     Once again it's hunting season. Normally my favorite time of the year. This is the time of the year I live for. The days grow shorter, the air gets a cooler bite to it, and the leaves begin to change color and migrate to the forest floor.

     But this year is different. As I stated in a earlier post, everything is different this year. I lost my Dad a few months ago and my heart just isn't into it for some reason. I go. I still want to kill food for the table, and a trophy for the wall, but it's different.

     I've seen a lot of deer this year, but not as many as last year. I've killed a few animals so far, one of my freezers is almost full. But it's not the same.

     I got a nice 170lb , 8 pointer . He had a tall rack with tall eye guards, and his tips almost touch. But it's not the same any more.

     I've taken a few good meat hogs for the table, and a nice 220lb boar with decent cutters , but I feel like I'm walking through zombie land. I'm just there, just going through the motions, not really into it just robotically killing time because that's what I'm supposed to do.

     I still love hunting, I live to be in the woods, to take game and butcher it and feed my family for the coming year. It's just not the same anymore. I guess I'm still a kid at heart wanting to come home after the hunt and share my hunt with my Dad. The one who taught me to love this way of life, to be  what I grew up to be . A hunter.

     Maybe as they say, time heals all wounds. Maybe not. Time will tell. I will never forget my Dad or the lessons he taught me. Every time I step into the woods, a farm field , or a boat I know he will be with me. He gave me these passions, I love them, and they are me.

     I miss you Dad.


Jim Cobb Coleman.

MORNING RUSH

     It's a dreary day here in Bullfrog Bottom. We've had a slight drizzle going on for a few days now. The fog is hanging low like a scene from an old time horror movie. I eased down into the back 40 to check my game camera for sign of deer crossing through my property.

     It is very muggy out, hard to believe it's December. Nothing is moving out but a few squirrels who jump from tree to tree overhead as I ease through the bottom, drenching me with raindrops . After retrieving my camera I headed back to the house to see what I have on camera and get another cup of coffee. A group of does are easing through during the middle of the day eating the last of my white oak acorns from my trees.

     First dry day I have time I'll try to go sit in the stand and see what happens. In a few hours I am going to take my Mother to her Dr's appointment. Tonight we will work on decorating for Christmas some more , hopefully we'll get through by this weekend.

HARD ROW TO HOE

     I haven't posted in a long time. Life is complicated. Sometimes things happen and you get busy and time slips away. Well, no more apologies, or excuses, it is what it is.

     I lost my Dad on August 14 of this year. After that life has been a blur. The day before was my Wife and I's 25th wedding anniversary. I was headed to my EMT-Basic class when I got the call my Dad had fell out. My Mom was frantic. She was so upset she couldn't dial 911. She grabbed the cell phone with my programmed number in it to call me for help.

     I called 911, then my wife, then my teacher and then headed to Mom & Dad's. The ambulance was already there. When I entered the house Mom was going crazy upset about Dad. I tried to calm her down, then I looked to Dad. The Paramedics and firemen were already there when I arrived and they were performing CPR on Dad. One of the Paramedics knew me from when I road clinicals on the ambulance he put me to work. He asked me to put tools in the jump bag, they asked me to help get Dad on the backboard, and clear a path out of the house. Once on the street at the ambulance he asked me to hold a tube they had drilled into Dad's leg so he could tape it down. Then he turned and asked me what I was doing there, I said " man that's my Dad ". He told me man I'm sorry I just thought you were here and stopped to help.

     I told him I understood just do what you need to do. I looked over at the heart monitor it was flat lined. They took off to the hospital. Those guys worked their butts off on my Dad all the way. The rest of the day & night ambulance staff kept checking in on us in the ER as they made deliveries. It meant a lot!

     Dad stayed in Trauma 1 unit of the ER until the next afternoon. We were there all night and day. A Dr. sent Dad for a neurological test and when he came back they told us Dad was already brain dead the machine was all that was keeping him alive. The Dr. said he had already called time of death. A short time later they disconnected the machine and Dad was gone. I was kneeling at his bed side holding his hand when he passed. He was wore out and he couldn't fight anymore.

     I miss him more everyday.

     Time since then has flown by. The hectic funeral arrangements, trying to help my Mother with all the financial, legal, and medical business after a death takes time. It's Dec. now and they still haven't got his permanent gravestone down yet.

     Mom is trying to cope with living alone, but it's a big adjustment after 53 years of living with someone to be alone everyday. I'm over as much as possible and try to be available when ever Mom has an appointment but she's still lonely.

     This is hunting season . The time of year I live for, but it's not the same anymore. I can't go into the woods without thinking of Dad. I've killed some deer & hogs but it's not right. I'm not enjoying myself. I've missed more deer this year than I've ever in my life and something inside doesn't really care. I always went and showed my deer to my Dad, but this year when I got my big 8 ptr there was no one I could talk to who would understand what it meant to me.

     I finished my EMT-Basic classed and passed with a 88.3 average. I then went to take the National Registry Exam so I can be an EMT and failed it.I don't know what happened, there was things on the test I had never heard of. Something inside felt really hurt that I didn't do better. Something inside me didn't really care. I can retake the test, but what can I do to make the outcome different.

     Deer season is almost over, Halloween, & Thanksgiving came and went , and soon Christmas will be here but it's all just another day.

   Jim Cobb Coleman

Lazarus Time

     Hello! I'm truly sorry to have not posted anything in such a long time, but life happens. Sometimes it's hard to do things when your financially, and timely handicapped. The world, and more importantly my world has been constantly changing and in the shuffle.

     As I have stated in earlier posts, I'm an addict (family,hunting, fishing, farming) who hopes to never recover as long as I live. I unfortunately lost total track of time during the later part of deer season , Christmas holidays, and early Spring. My writing suffered. I truly missed it.

     My Dad's health has been complicated as well. Most times he is as normal as can be expected. At others he gets sicker, which requires more attention and takes a greater toll on my Mother , who is his primary caregiver. Both of my parents are in their 70's, and refuse to admit they are not still 17 and totally healthy. Every time I try to help I hear that I am too busy at my own house and they can handle everything. Just the other day, Less than a week from my Dad being released from his last stay in the hospital for another round of pneumonia, I arrived at their home to find my Dad outside, checking the oil on the lawn mower, so my 74 year old Mother could cut the grass!

     Another issue I have had was access to a computer. I had a laptop, but one of my sons needed it more than I did, so I gave him mine. Funny but when I needed to use it , it was not available most of the time. By the time I remembered to go back and use it , it was not available again. And time marched on. I could make a lot of flimsy excuses, but life just took over and time marched on.

     Now hopefully things have changed. Financially things are more stable and looking up! I have been getting up some supplies necessary for what I need to do. I have acquired my own laptop again, and a new smart phone, now if I can just learn to use them!

     I am in the process of changing careers once again. I have begun taking a 6 month class to become an EMT. The idea of learning about health, and information that could help us with my Father, and others later on , sounds good to me. I have never really enjoyed my work. I think I would like being able to help others. So far I already see I will be doing a lot of studying!!

     So, if anyone's out there listening, life still goes on here in Bullfrog Bottom. The season are a changing, and life goes on. Soon I will be in my garden sweating away for the table. It's time to go start  harvesting my firewood for next fall and winter. Fish are calling to me to be caught and invited to supper. Preseason deer hunting preparations need to be made . Livestock issues, and land development is also on our plate for the upcoming year.

     Please stay with us! Tell your friends. It will be a fun ride!

Jim Cobb Coleman


    

    

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

   Today my oldest son turned another year older. He is 22 now. It seems like just the other day we brought him home from the hospital. All new and tiny and sweet baby smelling. Now he's big as I am and rough and hairy and grown.

   Funny thing is I still feel like I'm 22, instead of the real 48 years I have on me. The time sure flies by. I remember only yesterday I was the one hurring home from work and racing to clean up, change clothes, and hurry out the door on a semi-all night date. Now I'm the one waiting up to make sure he gets home safely.

   I don't mind being at home with my wife and baby boy on weekends, when I'm not hunting, while my older son is out on the town. But what is strange is both of the boys seem to be out growing us. I'm sure this is nothing new. I must have done the same thing when I was that age. But back then I still wanted to do things with my Dad & Mom. My boys hardly stay around us, and when they're home they stay in their rooms, only coming out for meals and restroom breaks.

    I guess this must be what my parents felt like when I started growing up, must be what all parents go through. Time sure goes by quickly.Things happen that can keep you from being able to do everything you would like to do with your kids. Hopefully as they grow up they will understand that you tried to do everything right when they were little.

   All you can do is try to teach them and love them, then back off and hope for the best. Maybe one day they will need you as much as you love them.

Happy Birthday buddy.

Love Mom and Dad.

J.C. Coleman

IT'S BEEN A GOOD HUNTING SEASON!!!

   It's been a great Fall hunting season! This is my favorite time of the year and this season has been very productive. I got lucky and I already have 2 wild hogs and 5 deer. Thanks to a little hard butchering work I have around 800lbs of meat in my freezers and we still have over 2 months left to hunt !

   I also brought out my largest buck this year. A 170lb 9 point buck. He had a 17 & 1/4 inch inside spread. He definitely is going on my wall. I already put his head in the taxidermy shop.Earlier in the season I also got a nice 7 pointer. He was a younger deer but still anice buck and will sure be tasty.

   I hunt in two states and belong to a hunting club. I also hunt public land, and private farms. This allows me to have a chance at several deer to try and fill my freezer so I can feed my family. When I butcher my deer I make hamburger, sausage, jerky, cube steak, & butterfly steaks.A little elbow grease and my freezer gets full.

   The hogs ain't bad either!!!

Jim Cobb Coleman.

ME & GENE AUTRY, BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!

   Saturday was opening day of muzzle loading season for deer. It was great to be back in the woods with my old smoke pole. I built a 50 caliber Hawken from a kit several years ago. I carved out the stock, and made all the parts fit. I drew a deer's head on one side of the butt stock and a jumping bass on the other side. I added a few turkey tracks and put my name on the stock.  I named the gun " Old Iron" and I burned all of this into the stock and stained it. Not a bad job even if I did do it.

   It's fun to try and go back in time and live, even if only for a little while like our ancestors did. I grew up reading about Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett now I can hunt like they did. Well sort of. They didn't have a portable deer stand to climb up a tree with, or a 4x4 four wheeler to haul them deep into the back woods.

   Saturday and Sunday found me in the woods way before daylight trying to get the drop on an unsuspecting deer suitable for my table. You see I love to hunt, but I feel like the mountain men of yesteryear when I go afield. I want the adventure, and a trophy. but I'm primarily trying to put aside enough meat to feed my family through the coming year. This is the only time I can do this, so it's also very serious business. Also I need to obey the game laws and try to trophy manage our deer herd as our hunting club wants us to do. That's alot to think about as a deer is walking or running by you in 3 to 10 seconds time.

   I saw a bunch of hogs and a few deer Saturday but I either couldn't get a shot or they were too little to shoot. On Sunday morning a nice 100 lb. doe walked up the ridge I was sitting on and offered me a good shot. My old 50 caliber barked loud and down she went. I loaded her up on the 4 wheeler and headed back to camp. My old 4 wheeler filled in for the pack mules of yesteryear the mountain men had. I was loaded down pretty good. Me, a 100 lb. deer, my deer stand, hunting gear and gun quite a load for a 24 year old bike to haul. It did a great job! We all got out fine.

   Today the real work of hunting begins. Yesterday I had to drag the deer out of the woods and put it on the 4 wheeler, take it to camp, skin and gut it. Today I must begin the process of butchering all the meat. In the next couple of days my little doe will become sliced tenderloins to wrap aroung jalipenos with bacon strips, butterflyed steaks, hamburger meat, cubed steaks, sausage, and deer jerky. Quite a lot from just one deer. We get the meat and the dogs get to gnaw the bones. Nothing is wasted.

   Soon I get to feast on the healthiest meat God ever made. Venison! Hopefully this will be the first of many deer this year. We need several to feed us till next year . If I can get lucky and get a few wild hogs as well, I believe we will have enough till next hunting season comes around again.

GOOD HUNTING.

Jim Cobb Coleman.


  

  
  

WEEKEND WARRIOR

   Look at all the pretty flowers growing all over my backyard. Their little vines are spreading out and taking over everything. They are almost as bad as kudzu. Soon I will get out there, weed eater in hand and take care of them, but not right now. It was a busy weekend as usual. Deer season is in and my Mom's birthday was Sunday. We stayed pretty busy.

   The local forester is running amuck on our hunting land. They are cutting and removing some 300 acres of woods. It has totally changed the lay of the land. If you had a deer stand on the property you had better marked it with orange flagging tape if you wanted it to not be destroyed by the heavy equipment working on the land. They don't slow down or worry about what they hit as some of our members found out the hard way.


   It was nice to get to the woods again after a week of "civilization". I needed the peace and quiet of the forest. I climbed into my deerstand twice this weekend and saw a few deer. All were in killing range but a good shot never presented itself. No matter, they will come back, and this weekend starts the muzzle loader season. Hopefully one will walk by this Saturday.

  
   Sunday was my Mom's 74th birthday. We came home from the woods and got Mom a ice cream cake, and picked up supper. When we went to put the candles on the cake we discovered we didn't have a number 4. So we wound up with 7 3 1. It stood for 7 & 3+ 1 = 4. After all as long as we're all together and love each other, it really doesn't matter what's on top of your cake or even if you have one or not.

   Happy Birthday Momma!

Jim Cobb Coleman.

COME ON FALL

   Even old Cissy girl is ready for fall. Seems like time we pulled out some decorations and put a couple of bales of hay and pumpkins on the front porch Cissy picked out her spot to enjoy the sunset. I don't blame her at all. There's a spot under my big oak tree that's looking pretty good to me too!

PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE

   Finally! The finished product of my European mount of the 8 pointer I got last hunting season. This was my first time trying this procedure, but it won't be my last. I think it turned out quite well . Total cost was under 25 dollars. I even got a little plaque engraved with the date I harvested the buck.

   This past weekend I got to go bowhunting for the first time this season. It felt good early in the morning, but warmed up quickly. Fall temperatures are still a long way away. It was great to climb a tree again. My shooting lanes I cut looked good, but nothing co-operated and walked by.The forest is still green and bright. I need some cold weather and strong wind to change the color of the leaves and blow them to the ground.

  

  
   I know my time will come, and soon I hope. For now all I can do is be patient and keep on practicing. Soon enough I will wake up one morning to smoke coming out with my breath. That chill that runs down your spine and shakes you to the core. On that magic fall morning the leaves will helicopter down to the forest floor in an autumnal cascade of reds, yellows, and oranges. The old trails and new paths will come alive with the soft footfalls of heavy hooves and hopefully my arrow will find it's mark right behind the shoulderblade in the sweet spot of the heart. Legends will fall to make room for future kings to reign, and meat, fur, and horns will come home to Bullfrog Bottom once again.

   Past, present, and future hunting is a way of life. A legacy that goes back to the time of my ancestors who had to hunt to survive. To myself who lives to hunt and just spend time in the woods, and hopefully to be passed down to my children, and my children's children. It is a way of life.

   It is my life!

Jim Cobb Coleman.

LOOKING FOR CHANGE

   With this big storm front crawling across the country right now I'm looking for a change. Mainly a change in the weather. I'm really tired of hot weather. I'm tired of sweating all day, every day.

   They say after the rain a cold front will pass down on us and begin to cool us off. It's about time. September is over half way gone, we need some relief. I need October, bad! I need to smell smoke drifting slowly out my chimney from the oak wood burning inside. I need to see the orange glow of the flames and our Boston terrier sleeping in his bed in front of the hearth.

   After a long timeof working there seems to be no response at all, as usual. Do I continue? Do I stop? Sometimes I wonder what's the point? Like everything else I touch , It seems like it is a waste of time if no one ever notices.

   I wish things would change.

Jim Cobb.

I WONDER...

   The time has come the walrus said to talk of many things. So now I wonder.

   I wonder if summer will ever end ? It's September now in dixie, and the temps are still in the 90's, and boy is it humid. I wonder if soon fall will kick in and finally cool us off ? The leaves are slowly starting to turn yellow, but I'm ready for orange and reds.

   I wonder if deer season will be productive this year? Last year was a blessing, I never saw so many deer before. Hopefully this year will be better. My family needs as much meat as I can harvest to feed us next year.

   I wonder if life is moving too fast ? My son's have grown up over night it seems, they act like they no longer need the old man anymore. When just the other day I was the one they couldn't wait to run to and jump into my arms. My sweetheart doesn't act as sweet as she used to, there again there was a time I thought I warmed a heart where now it seems one grows colder each day. Dads doing well, but I fear tomorrow when the day may come when he no longer knows me by heart.

   I wonder am I growing older and colder myself, or do I just think too much ? I don't like change! Too much has changed in the last several years and not for the better. Friends and family are gone and life won't be the same without them.

   I need to slip back in time. Back to when the world was right. Back to when I was 22. 22 was a very good year. I was free to live, life was steady and secure. All the people you knew and loved were still right next door, or just a phone call away. You could see the light bounce in their eyes when you saw them and hear the love in their voices when you talked to them on the phone. Life was a joy then.

   I wonder what happened to all of us since then and how do you ever get back there? Can you ever get back that feeling of 22?

   I wonder....?

Jim Cobb.

IT WAS A GOOD WEEKEND , TATER !!!

   This past Labor Day weekend was great! All except for the fact that my boys had to work, and they couldn't be with us. Our air conditioner at home is down and we are currently waiting for the repair man to find time in his busy schedule to come and fix it. If he doesn't come by tomorrow, I'm going to go buy a window unit or 2 and forget about him. Early Saturday morning we loaded up the truck and trailer, and headed down to the hunting club for the weekend.

   Our weather is still very hot and extremely muggy. You become soaking wet with sweat by just going to the mailbox. Needless to say we enjoyed the AC in the truck on the way down. It has been a long hot week. By the time we got down and unloaded the supplies, food, ice chests, and 4 wheeler, we were pretty hot and tired.

   The good thing is that my AC in the camper works GREAT! We cooled off, took a couple of showers, and put on our Alabama game shirts and got ready to watch some football. We watched stacked games on tv. Two tv's sitting on top of each other, we watched the Bama and Auburn games at the same time with my cousin "Hawkeye".  Like I said , it was a great weekend, Bama won, Auburn lost, we stayed cool and got some rest.

   I also got to do some work around my deerstands. I marked the new trail leading into the stands, and macheted my way through the woods to open up the trail. I took my chain saw and removed a few trees to open up some shooting lanes.The woods are getting ready for Autumn. You can see it and feel it in the air, early in the morning and late in the evening. It's coming, it's just taking it's own sweet time.Some leaves are falling already, and some are just beginning to turn yellow.

   Late in the afternoon we fired up the grills and cooked us some delicious protein. A Boston butt was slow roasted on the grill, along with a stack of hamburgers and some boneless chicken. Tacos were prepared in the camper . We may not have everything we need in camp, but we always eat good.

   "Big Mama" needed the AC most of all this weekend, you see she is borderline asmatic, so she did alot of catching up on her chick-flicks while I was rambling around the woods on the 4-wheeler. At night we enjoyed a camp fire to help and try to run off the mosquitos that were trying to tote off the small children in camp.

   All in all we had a great time.One of our neighbors near the club was rolling up hay in his pasture. It reminded me of all the great times coming up from here on till the end of the year. Archery season opens next Saturday, college football is wide open now, soon mums, pumpkins, and hay bales will take over my front porch, and all the friends, family, and holidays we've been looking forward to seeing will be here.

Hang on, it gets rowdy from this point on!

I hope you get to enjoy it as much as I plan to.

   Jim Cobb Coleman.

P.S.---ROLL TIDE!

BACK AGAIN I HOPE

   Just when I thought it was safe to write again, a thunderstorm came and a flash of lightning fried our router and modem. We've been down ever since.

   But all's well that ends well! NOW, IT'S TIME !!!!! Fall is just around the corner and I can't wait. This Saturday The University of Alabama kicks off it's football season, and archery deer season starts in three weeks ! Slowly the leaves are beginning to turn yellow and a few are starting to fall. The days are getting shorter little by little, and Cracker Barrel restaurants already have their Christmas tree up. Fall is surely just around the corner.

   Down at the hunting club a logging crew has arrived and they are removing trees on around 300 acres. It should open up a good bit of land for hunting that hasn't been hunted in years. The work crew has widened the logging roads but their equipment has made the roads a lot more muddier especially since we've been getting rain about 3 times a week. It should make for an interesting season.

   I know I speak for my whole family when I say we can't wait for cooler weather. The temps here are still in the 90's. It's definitely the "DOG DAYS" of summer. We're ready for mums, & pumpkins, & falling leaves, and a fat doe easing through the woods at 20 yards. ROLL TIDE !!!

   Welcome to Autumn!

Jim Cobb Coleman.

BUSY , BUSY , BUSY !!!!

   I know , I know , I haven't posted anything new in a long time.  I'm sorry. I've been very busy , and we've had some computer issues lately. It has been running so slow that when I got a chance , late at night to write , the computer was soooo slow I couldn't access the site and finally gave up and went to bed. Hopefully that's all straight now.

   I've been involved in re-training to go back to work ( part time ) with the Bullfrog Bottom School Board to drive a school bus once again. I still have all the necessary endorsements on my CDL, I just needed a recert. class. For the last few weeks I've been driving a bus all over the Bullfrog Bottom community practicing procedures and just getting the feel of the bus back again. I finished my testing yesterday and passed with flying colors! Now I just wait for school to start in a few weeks.

   I've been going down to the hunting property and doing some scouting and brush clearing for the upcoming hunting season. I recently acquired a new piece of property to hunt this year and found some great sign on it. With a little bit of pruning I believe it will be a great place to hunt this fall. It has a lot of deer and hog sign on it.

   Going along with my year-long project of how to live and save money and survive as cheaply as possible on your own, I recently purchased a very needed piece of equipment. To access all of the areas on our hunting land I needed a ATV.  4 wheelers and UTV's have gotten very expensive!!! I know guys who have paid double for a ATV than I did for my first car. Prices range from 4 to over 10 thousand dollars. A poor man can't afford something like that just to creep through the woods on to help get a deer out with.

   The way I went about finding my ATV was to look for a used one. There are a lot of good deals out there on used ATV's right now. In todays economy, people need money. If someone can't afford to go hunting they don't need a 4 wheeler sitting in the garage taking up space and slowly dry rotting away. Sometimes , someone will get a new one and no longer want their old one. If you look around good deals can be found.

   I had been looking for a couple of years for a good , cheaply priced 4 wheeler. Finally I came across what I was looking for. A used, well kept, good running, cheaply priced 4 wheeler. My cousin "Hawkeye" heard about someone who had one for sale. I called the man and we made a deal. After meeting and an inspection of the ATV and a test drive. I became the new owner of a 24 year old $500.00 ATV. 

   Yes it's old , and needs a little work done on it. BUT !!! It's in great shape and runs very well. I drove it all over our 2,500 acre hunting property and it performed perfectly! Once I do the few repairs I know I need to do on it I'll have an almost new vehicle.The man I bought it from is in my hunting club and had just purchased a new UTV. He no longer needed this one. Within an hour of purchasing my ATV , he called me on the cell phone and I had to help pull his new UTV out of a sink hole. The 24 year old ATV never got stuck all weekend long!

   Bargains are out there. You just have to be patient and hunt for them. Like I've said there's more than one way to skin a cat. The money I saved by buying a used 4 wheeler will help me on other items my family will need and hopefully help me put more meat in my freezer and on my table for years to come.

   Keep on hunting! ( food & bargains )

Jim Cobb Coleman.

HUNTING PREP. WORK

   Man am I wore out! These weekend excursions are killing me. I finally came home Sunday night around 9pm just to get a rest!

   We worked the whole weekend in camp and deep in the deer woods trying to do what's necessary to ensure an enjoyable hunting season coming up in a few months. It was late Friday night before I arrived in camp. Except for unloading the truck and trailer, not much else got done that night except some friendly conversations around camp.

   Early Saturday morning, after a good breakfast of oiled sausages, grits, and coffee, we first got to work leveling my new deck in front of my camper. My cousin "Hawkeye" and I dug the footings under each 4 x 4 post under the deck and placed a concrete paver under it. Even though we got an early start, the temps quickly climbed up into the mid 90's. We were soaked in sweat in no time, and thanks to having to crawl under the 8 x 16 foot deck I soon was covered in wet dirt.

   After the posts of the deck were securely on the pavers and the entire deck was leveled we ducked into the camper to cool down and take a quick Coke break to try and cool off for a little while. Next we loaded up the ATV's with tools and building materials and headed back in the woods to start to build a shooting house for "Hawkeye".

   "Hawkeye" was going to build a 18 foot tall shooting house. He fabricated a 6 x 6 foot house to go on top of the platform we would build in the woods. The platform would be made of 4 x 4 posts, tied together by 2 x 8's and 2 x 6's. The floor of the house would be 3/4 inch plywood that would later be covered by carpet. We came prepared. We brought a vendor tent so we could stop and rest in the shade, a shop fan, and a Honda generator to power all the tools. We had our camp chairs and a full ice chest to help and keep us hydrated. BOY did we drink some water and gatoraide!!!

   We worked a little while, and then we would take a rest. It was too hot to try and bulldoze our way through the job. Slowly but surely it started taking shape. We got around half of the stand built by evening time so we called it a day. We knocked off around 8pm, we were whipped!

   That night we cooled down, showered off, and cooked a good supper on the grill. We had B-B-Qued pork tender loins and baked beans for supper. It was good, but it was around 11:30pm by the time it was done. We ate and literally went to bed.  

   The next morning we had a little more pork for breakfast. We were aching from all the work we did the day before but still had another full days work before us. Other members of the club were also down for the weekend to work on their areas. A new member came over and asked how the construction was going and offered to help us finish it up. He had his 2 teenage sons down with him and a teenage friend of his son. Together we headed back out and made short work of the rest of the job. This new member saved us probably 4 or 5 more hours of work in the hot Alabama sun. By staying and helping us he delayed himself and his family from going home. This man lives 3 hours from hunting camp. He really just wanted to help and be a part of our club. Our hats are off to him and his boys. We look forward to when we can return the favor and help them out. This is what true sportsanship is all about. It takes good people to make a good hunting club.

   All that's left for "Hawkeye" to do is a little painting , build a proper set of steps to get in the stand with, and lay down carpet on the floor. This job is basically done. It took two trips to break down the worksite and get all the tools and equipment back to camp.

   After another cool down break in the camper, we loaded up on the ATV's and headed back into the big woods in search of a new area for me to hunt this winter. I located a beautiful hardwood bottom covered with plenty of white oak trees and plenty of deer and hog sign. The rolling hills were lit up by the hot sun shining through the dark green leaves of the oak trees. I can only imagine for now how beautiful this will look come fall of the year when the dark green leaves will have changed to amber, ocre, and crimson.

   A quick scouting mission tells me where the animals are crossing, and a quick scan of the tree line lets me see which oak tree I need to hang my portable on come September! Very little pruning will be necessary to open up a few good shooting lanes. This spot seems tailor made.

   Now that all of our chores are caught up for this weekend, we headed back to get ready to head home ourselves. It was after 9pm by the time I got home. It was a full , tiresome weekend, but we got alot accomplished. During the weekend we saw a few turkeys and a bunch of deer, and that's a big part of why we do what we do. As hunters we just don't kill animals in the winter, we live with them all year long. We love these animals, alive in the field and on the wall and in the freezer. And whether or not we kill something we really live just to be in the woods with them. Nothing beats the view from a deerstand.

   I hope you get to enjoy it too!

Jim Cobb Coleman.

WHAT A WEEK

   It is amazing how fast a week can fly by! Last weekend was full of work down at my hunting club property. I planned on an enjoyable week. It was hectic!

   The days flew by. Filled with work, running errands, trying to help out with my Mom and Dad, gardening, and general duties around the farm. It's been tiring.

   Dad is doing well, he is still weak, but strong enough to keep everyone else on there toes trying to keep an eye on him! Most days this week I dropped by after work and spent 4 to 5 hours a day visiting with him. The more we talk, the better he seems to be, and the better he seems to do at night. The better he rests at night, the more rest Mom can get. When I;m over Mom can get a break and sneak off and rest.

   The garden is doing well, I picked a good mess of produce the other day. We have a good supply of Roma tomatoes, okra, banana peppers, and Mortgage Lifter tomatoes. Hopefully we can make some tomatoe paste and have some fried okra and green tomatoes.

   We had a death in the family this week as well. Our Momma goat " Daisy Mae" died the other day. Apparently the victim of a snake bite. We noticed a swelling on the underside of her jaw, but could see no signs of injury other than the swelling. It went down a few days later and she was eating well the whole time. Then one day I didn't see here. The next day I went looking foe her and found her behind the barn. She will be missed. We raised her since she was a few months old. She was around 5 years old.

   Jim Cobb Coleman.

 

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.

GATOR DRAWING

   Did I feel lucky? NO I DIDN'T!!!

   Well the drawing for the lucky folks who will get to gator hunt in the state of Alabama this year is done. Needless to say, I didn't get my name drawn! AGAIN! This is twice I have applied to get the chance to go gator hunting with no luck. My cousin didn't get drawn either.

   Oh well! We tried. It is probably a good thing we didn't get drawn anyway. My wife would probably kill me if I brought home one of the 15 foot gators I fish around. I don't know where I would put a full body mount either.

   Better luck next year!

Jim Cobb Coleman.

DO I FEEL LUCKY?

   Well do I? I sure hope so. Anyway I'll find out for sure tomorrow when the lottery drawing for this season's Alabama gator hunt is over. By lunch time the drawing will be over and everyone will be notified by E-mail whether or not they will get to hunt this year.

   I know it would be a grand adventure! Imagine slipping onto the waters after dark on a hot summer night in search of a large pair of glowing red eyes, and 800 to 900 lbs of angry, hungry attitude. Yea that's right if we go, we're going after a big one. As big a one we can find.

   Since my cousin entered too, we stand a better chance with two of us in the running. No matter if only one of us gets drawn, the other one can go and help. It will be fun either way. Maybe we can get drawn and come away with some good meat and some great memories.

   We'll see tomorrow! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Jim Cobb Coleman.