Big Fin
10-06-2009, 11:16 PM
When you return from 24 days of filming and the taxi calls to say your new mount is ready to pick up, I suggest not making a trip to the taxi your first order of business upon returning home. Might be better to listen to all the things that broke while you were away, to take out the trash, tell her how much you missed her, and a lot of other things. Then, you might have the clearance to jump in the truck and speed over to pick up your new mount.
For those of you newly married, or thinking about getting married, let me just pass on that "first hand knowledge" and save you the life long scars that follow when you come in the door, drop your bags, and say, "Honey, I will be back in about an hour. Got a call that my antelope is ready to pick up."
Ouch, can't believe I have been married for 20 years and was dumb enough to do that. I blame it on the insanity of pronghorn fever. Oh well, over time, such scars will heal.....I hope.:o
Enough background to that issue. This post might take more pictures than normal. I learned lots about pronghorn with this guy.
First thing I learned is that you never judge and antelope from the front. I already knew that, but this was confirmation.
18561
Second thing I learned is that even from the side, they can be deceiving. But usually look good enough to give you some idea that it might be worth a closer look.
18562
Third thing I learned is to not entrust your horns to Greenhorn during the official drying period. He will put them on the mantel above the woodstove, and if that doesn't do it, he will tell those cute kids of his to see if they can build a fire and burn those horns off the skull. And if that fails, he will put hose clamps around the bases to prevent any artificial expansion that could cause your buck to be disqualified from the measurement period.
18563
18564
18565
Not really Greenhorn's fault. He only took them to the official measuring place, while I was away. I was the idiot who kept them in my dry, and sometimes very warm, shop for about 75 days. The "green to net" shrinkage at the bases was 6/8" on both sides, with no more than 1/8" at any other measurement. A good way to turn a 88" buck into a 86 1/2" buck. Oh well, next time I shoot one that big (which will be never), I will know how to take care of him.
Those are all "AFTER" pics.
My avatar is the "BEFORE" pic.
For those of you newly married, or thinking about getting married, let me just pass on that "first hand knowledge" and save you the life long scars that follow when you come in the door, drop your bags, and say, "Honey, I will be back in about an hour. Got a call that my antelope is ready to pick up."
Ouch, can't believe I have been married for 20 years and was dumb enough to do that. I blame it on the insanity of pronghorn fever. Oh well, over time, such scars will heal.....I hope.:o
Enough background to that issue. This post might take more pictures than normal. I learned lots about pronghorn with this guy.
First thing I learned is that you never judge and antelope from the front. I already knew that, but this was confirmation.
18561
Second thing I learned is that even from the side, they can be deceiving. But usually look good enough to give you some idea that it might be worth a closer look.
18562
Third thing I learned is to not entrust your horns to Greenhorn during the official drying period. He will put them on the mantel above the woodstove, and if that doesn't do it, he will tell those cute kids of his to see if they can build a fire and burn those horns off the skull. And if that fails, he will put hose clamps around the bases to prevent any artificial expansion that could cause your buck to be disqualified from the measurement period.
18563
18564
18565
Not really Greenhorn's fault. He only took them to the official measuring place, while I was away. I was the idiot who kept them in my dry, and sometimes very warm, shop for about 75 days. The "green to net" shrinkage at the bases was 6/8" on both sides, with no more than 1/8" at any other measurement. A good way to turn a 88" buck into a 86 1/2" buck. Oh well, next time I shoot one that big (which will be never), I will know how to take care of him.
Those are all "AFTER" pics.
My avatar is the "BEFORE" pic.