Papaw’s axe

I replaced the handle on my grandfather’s old axe today. It was loose when I used it last week. I steamed it to tightness and got my tree cut, but chopping made it shake loose again: a handle fracture was hidden inside the head. One doesn’t see many double- bit axes in use these days, but they are still available in hardware stores… I saw them when shopping for a new handle. I don’t know how long this axe has been around, but I recall that 50 years ago, it was already old and well- used. Papaw logged the Tunica Hills with hand tools and oxen when he was young, and this axe could date from that time.

Yep, winter must be over

It’s awfully warm to be hunting today, and rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow. The mosquitoes have come out again, and they’re hungry! These mosquitoes are our more familiar variety, just bothersome at dawn and dusk, and staying in the bushes. Those terrible marsh mosquitoes that had blown in here would run you all around in the open, regardless of wind, and in broad daylight.

Is winter over, now?

It sprinkled rain last night, only got down to 38 degrees this morning, and it has warmed up considerably during the day. These big white- oak acorns are favorites in the deer diet; I found them along Panther Creek. The creek bank was torn up with hoof- prints of deer, but no deer showed up while I was sneaking around here trying to ambush one. I thought this cold weather and the moon phase would come together to stir the juices in those old bucks, but it hasn’t happened. We are seeing some deer signs, a few rubs, scrapes, and tracks, but the deer are moving at night.

Fetching water

I didn’t bring enough drinking water, so I was visiting Panther Creek regularly to fill canteens. This lovely little pool looked inviting but, after a 15- degree morning, skinny- dipping was out of the question. My rain- barrel had been topped with thick ice… I couldn’t break through with a stick.

I hope this rids us of mosquitoes!

I slept pretty well, and was glad to have the thermal underwear. It was 30 degrees in the cabin when I woke up. I lit the heater, started some coffee and rolled back over and convinced myself that those deer were too smart to get out of their beds when it’s that cold. They’d like to lounge around, so that’s what I did, too. The heater got the cabin up to 50 degrees and I was so comfortable that I made another cup of coffee and listened to the radio for a while. When I worked up enough courage to get outside, I found that it was a beautiful morning: the temperature was 28; it was fair and sunny, with very slight breezes. This weather was pleasant, and was a far cry from a Friday, December 8, that I remember twenty- eight years ago…that one was cold and breezy and wet, and still drizzling rain.

A cold night is coming!

I found some fresh rubs on the creek trail, where Hickory Ridge begins; hunting there this afternoon, the wind was gusting constantly, bringing in a mighty cold blast of air soon. No critters out; the birds and squirrels must be hunkered down. Most of the leaves are on the ground now; it’s like walking on cornflakes. As the sun set, it was still windy and the temperature was dropping. It was 40 degrees inside, when I shucked my pack in the cabin. My double- mantle lantern broke the chill and nudged the temperature up to 50, but it was still dropping outside. I forgot to bring my warm mummy- bag; at bedtime I donned long- johns, watch cap and socks and crawled into my old rectangular sleeping bag. That bag is getting pretty thin in spots, but it is roomy and comfortable and is just the right weight most of the year. I’m sentimental about the old fart- sack; I ordered it from Herter’s about 40 years ago. That was the first I had heard of Polar-Guard insulation and, like all of Herter’s products it was described as the best and biggest and “finest procurable”. I must admit that I still use it often, and it has been with me from Gulf sands to above timber- line and everywhere in- between.