New Ground

My friend Nathan wished to fined a new location to go on a trek this weekend.His wife Andrea is pregnant and the due date is December 5.This is the last chance he will have before the baby comes.

We explored Hemlock Cliffs.Hemlock Cliffs is a beutifull location with plenty of game,wood and water but your not allowed to stay in the rock houses by law.Nathan and I had a very challenging hunt on a Squirell,little fella led a merry chase for several hundred yards.The squirell finally messed up and nathan popped him.I dont think we will be doing overnights at Hemlock Cliffs.To many hikers and we would have to pack a shelter.

We drove to German Ridge.Nathan wanted to show me a cluster of rock houses there.The rockhouses were neat but the water source there is way down hill and everything was to close to civilization and had a lot of traffic from horse riders.I dont like the area.It does have a lot of squirells nests.

Nathan then drove us back to Oriole Lake and I showed him what the USFS was doing at the trail head off of orchard road.He was as pissed off as I am.It looks like they are putting in a huge road to get access in for the timber.I took Nathan to the other trail area and we walked down into Stinking Fork creek.Its a good hike in and the area is beutiful.It lacks small game but has a potential for fish and trapping.It is a hike to get there but I like it.I will have to build a shelter since I cant locate any rockhouse there that are usable.I need to explore the area deeper.

Nathan still might go to Cains Keep this weekend even with the neon pink paint on the trees.I dont think I will go back there.It just saddens me to see it as it is now and remember how it was before.

Sad Day

I left the house today and drove to Perry County to begin my scout.When I got to the trailhead it was blocked by a USFS truck and utility trailer.I headed down the trail survey stakes were in the ground everywhere and a lot of trees were marked for cutting.I thought maybe they havent gone to far.I was wrong.At Cains Keep the trees are marked with neon pink paint blazes.It appears they have marked new boundry lines and quite possibly the neon pink is for a new trail that is ten feet in front of the rock house.I now understand even better what Nessmuk meant when he wroteNEVER ANY MORE CANIT BE UNTO ME AS BEFORE.It aint all bad I guess.Now I must explore new territory.The quest is sometimes the best part of a destination.

Getting ready for a scout

I am leaving in the morning on a scout at Cains Keep.I will be in there solo until Friday when I should be joined by a few others of like mind.It will give me the time to focus on solitude for a couple of days until the others come in.The weather forcast looks good with rain showers on a couple of days.I know some folks like lists and live by them so I will post what I shall be taking on this outing.

Clothing:

Linen knee breeches

Linen shirt

Linen waistcoat

Fustian Hunting Shirt

Leather leggings with barktanned leather knee garters

Fugawee Ligonier shoes

Wool Monmouth cap

Silk neck scarf

Leather waistbelt with accoutrements(belt knife,hatchet,8 tube cartridge box,noggin)

Gun:

20 Bore Fusil

Powder Horn

Slit pouch with ammo and mecessities for my gun

Pack:

Tony Baker Homespun Blanket

Palaise sack(to be stuffed with leaves for a bed)

Small brass kettle

Flint and steel

small market wallet with my food snd bits snd pircrd ie spoon,salt horn,sewing repair kit ect.

Moccasins for wearing around camp and sleeping in.

Food:

Parched hominy

Parched peas

Dried beef

Wild rice

Dried onion

Im sure to toss stuff in or out it all depends on my mood and the situation due to the senerio or lack there of.This trip is for me to get back to being me,I feel I havent been for quite some time.Will possibly take a camera and get some photos to post.I will keep a journal on this trip and will post the entrys here when I get back.

Im not sure who else will be showing up this weekend but those that do are good woodsmen in thier own right.

My wife Connie was looking at my Blog and noticed that I now have more compasses than I had last week.I didnt tell her about the one I picked up at Locust Grove on saturday.That means I must get more of them and she wont notice such things.

The big dang knife

I carry two knives.A very large knife for defense is always loaded and gives me comfort in my belt on a dark night deep in the timber.Hunting with a muzzleloading firearm is great untill its empty and you have to reload in a hurry.I carry a large plug bayonet or a large hand forged butcher with a antler handle.Both knives are used for general rough work and butchering.I carry a small knife in my pocket for fine work and skinning.Both knives are period correct to the 18th century.The plug bayonet would have been military surplus by the time I am most interested in but still a plausable weapon for the times.

Burl noggin

I thought I would share with you a littlle gem I have carried for ten years or so.This is a burl noggin/drinking cup.It is carried on my belt and is used for drinking from springs or creeks so you dont have to take your eyes of your surroundings by laying down at the creek side to get a drink.They are also known as canoe cups.Its also very handy for filling a canteen where the water source is very shallow or to small to fit the canteen.The deer antler toggle is thrust under the waist belt to secure it from loss.This noggin is native made and is from Maine.I found it in a shop and it has served me well for a decade or more.Its one of my most commented on pieces of gear.The walls of it are very thin.

Where am I going....compasses

In this day and age of gps and satelite uplinks is making it possible for most people to navigate the world easily.In the 18th century compasses were used.I use repro 18th century compasses to navigate my way when I go brush busting.You need to check your compass often to stay on a straightish course.I could go into a long diatribe about compass use a plotting,but I aint gonna.get a good compass and learn to use it.Horace Kephart in Woodcraft and Camping have a great chapter on navigation.These wooden bodied compases are fine for general course following.The large brass compass is very good for plotting and map making.

Gin Trap for beaver

This is a repro trap made by Hiram Hunter of Aurora Utah.Its a real trap and not a prop for posers.I will be taking this trapp out this season and trying my luck.I need to get around to making a set of trap sticks for setting it.That is a framing square in the background for scale.The chain has a really nice swivel built into it.This is a good trap for the 18th and early 19th century hunter.

Bait Bottle

If your going to trap beaver ya should have a bait bottle.This is the bait bottle I made a number of years agofrom a birch sapling.It was used to hold beaver lure made from castor glands and typically anise spice.

Ice chisel and Spears

Ok guys here are some photos of my ice chisel and beaver/muskrat spears.These tools were very inportant in the fur trade.Im getting ready to haft these tools and a fella was asking on frontierfolk about ice chisels.I hope the photos are ok.

Gin Trap

Here are some photos of a gin trap that is of the type made in the 18th and early 19th century.A fella on FrontierFolk named jaybo wants to make a few and I hope these photos can help him.I have a larger beaver sized trap of this same design,it is a repro.So jaybo heres some pics and I hope they help.