What is woke?

Woke "Identity politics": A political movement where people create a new personal identity based on physical traits like race and/or gender. The Identity can also include imaginary traits such as animals and mythical creatures. The most important aspect of the individual is how they identify. The identity is only known to the individual via their state of mind therefor transitions between identities is seamless but hidden from others. (Trans-gender, Trans-race, trans-species, trans-age) This lead to the use of custom Pronouns in English (and Spanish) and appearance changes, based on extreme stereotypes, to show the identity to the world. People are expected to asked for identities and those identities followed without mistakes. Incorrect assumptions are seen as a direct attack. All attacks on the identity are an attack on the person and group thus violence. (Transphobia/homophobia) This lead to the need for trigger warnings and safe spaces in the early movement. Violence has become more common as more will verbally or physically attack over bad guesses or innocent mistakes. The movement grew out of identity feminist in the early 2000s as other identities beyond gender were accepted. Feminist and Woke both use "patriarchy" (proletariat) in their ideology. The root ideology is based on a modernized version of Marxism where class struggle is replaced with gender struggle (feminism) and identity struggle (woke). Furthermore, the identity follow a hierarchy where different degrees of "oppression" for each class (identity) is observed. This hierarchy is not well defined and constantly changes although a given individual's identity is usually the top (most oppressed). However, heterosexual white females then heterosexual white males are the commonly least oppressed.

Land: Clearing things up

We went back to the land at the beginning of June.  I rented a CAT D5 and 299 Skid Steer with a mulcher.  We arrived just before noon on Saturday. It was good to see the RV was still there in good shape.  The biggest issue was the water pump was singing it's death knell and a small bird had created a nest on top of the propane tank. I don't know what kind of bird it was.   They were small mostly brown in color.   I counted at least 3 nestlings.

 

The plan was to expand the RV area and food plot.  I also wanted to create a couple ponds and a new food plot on the west side.    We arrived just in time to meet the equipment delivery driver to lead him in.    There was a new locked gate just off the county road.  No one had cell service and turning around would be nearly impossible. Thankfully, the delivery guy was able to radio his boss and get the combination from the phone number written on the gate.

The number was for the operations manager of the gas company running the wells in the area.   He said the land owners on the north end of the road suffered large losses from thieves recently.   The gate was built to discourage random people from entering.   This is the first time we've heard of wide spread thefts. He said the oil company regularly has parts missing.   They run their equipment on solar panels because there's no electricity.   He said they tried to make the batteries and panels harder to steal but the thieves would just tear up more to get what they wanted.    They usually just accepted the occasional loss.    He said the road is technically owned by the oil company and if I catch someone trespassing to let him know and the oil company would file charges as well.   

He also said that a quarry company owns the land to our south and might provide access to the main highway.  I couldn't find a company that owned any land to the south.  The only one I know of is a Mike who owns the land to the north.  I've already talked to him and he doesn't know of any alternative routes.

I also discovered the Texans who bought a plot of land last year is an elderly gentleman named Chuck.    He was also using a lock on the gate.   I had a great conversation with Chuck. He said he has been staying the winter months there September till February.  He keeps an eye on things while he is there thus earned the nickname "sheriff".

The water was below the bridge which indicates it had not rained for several weeks although the roads showed there was a lot of rain since November.  The erosion channels were deeper and many new deep pot holes.

Some of the pot holes were very deep and I scraped the ground with the trailer jack.  The jack doesn't work anymore and will have to be replaced.   I think the biggest factor was there was 200 gallons of water in the back which caused the truck to ride low.  I hope the new gate will keep the four-wheelers out too.    They like to joy ride through the area ripping up the roads and drinking beer.    One of the worse spots on the road near a cattle guard was created this way.    A year ago we noticed new tracks where someone left deep ruts which the water now uses as a path eroding it deeper.  I doubt they got stuck there and the tracks were too narrow to be a truck.

We got to the well pad and unloaded the tractor.    We started moving equipment down to the RV when we encountered a deep erosion channel on our road.    It's the same spot that was there last year.  There are two major spots in the road we've had problems with.    One at the top of the road eroded a foot deep and wide.    It was bad enough I couldn't get the tractor over it let alone a truck and trailer.    We had to turn around and bring the dozer to correct the road again.     

The trouble spots were fixed last year when we rented the dozer, but it's not a simple case of the correcting the slope.     I believe when it rains hard enough to raise the water table there are two locations on the road that drain.    We have located several places all over the property located mostly in creeks where water seemingly comes out of rocks.   They run for weeks after a heavy rain and in the road it slowly erodes exposing the bed rock.

The first spot is just north of our property half way down a steep slope which drops elevation 20 FT through a couple benches.  The second is past the RV on a steep slope where the elevation drops over a hundred feet in a short distance.  

We have a few options which is to locate a new path further to the west or fill these spots with gravel.  The second erosion area can be avoided if we fix the alternate path created by the previous owner.    It turns before the trouble spot crossing a wet weather creek.    This area is mostly stone so it doesn't erode.    The problem is the creek bed is full of pits and sharp rocks.   This where we lost a tire the first trip as owners.  We tried to fill the holes with rocks from the area but a heavy rain had washed them away.  We need to fill the deep spots with concrete to make it easier on the tires.   We don't plan to bring the truck over this often, but we need at least one trip to remove the old camper and trash.

By the end of the first day, I fixed and widened the road.   It's now about 10 feet wide.   The gyroscope of the dozer was broken so I had to level everything manually.  This was a challenge since it's only the second time I've driven a dozer.  By the end of the night my son put rocks in a 5 feet circle and we settled in to enjoyed the night with beer and BBQ.

We were awaken by thunderstorms early in the morning.   It rained until after noon dumping a total of 2.5 inches.  The sky was clear the rest of the day which made the heat and humidity almost unbearable.  The ground is mostly clay and became a soup.  Thankfully, the road didn't wash out but there was a spot where run off was starting to erode again.  We waited until the afternoon to start work.    I was able to fix the run off area by putting a slope in the road.  It was difficult due to the slimy mud.    The biggest problem while it was wet is the ground cuts off like a slab of cold butter.    This made it impossible to level out the land with the dozer.  

We cleared some of the trees around the RV.   I pushed the trees over with the dozer then tried to fill the holes which didn't compact.  We had to get the chainsaw to cut up the down trees often then move the logs and brush to piles.   It was interesting the trees seem to collect rocks out of the soil and pull them close to the trunk.    Many of the trees had a large collection of stones of all sizes in their roots.

The hope was we would have enough sky to get a cell phone signal if we could clear a path from the RV to where the elevation begins to drop.   I was hopeful because my son was starting to get notifications around the RV.

At then end of the day we moved the trucks up to the well pad.  The forecast indicated rain the next day.   The amount of rain is always an uncertainty.   A forecast of "scattered light showers" could mean trace to heavy down pours.  The road looked solid after drying all day but the fresh soil had become like peanut butter.   There was a lot of slippage making four inch ruts but we managed to get to the top.

We didn't get much done due to a late start.   It was so wet that we couldn't even get a fire going.  Every stick of wood was soaked.  We went inside the RV and just watched a movie until bed time.

The next morning the same weather pattern repeated giving another inch of rain. The forecast expected the same every day until Friday.  It hadn't rained enough to get the creeks running but the constant showers would ensure the dirt would not dry out.

We were only able to work a couple hours each day.   What work could get done was slowed by the mud.  We decided to go home after a couple days even though we planned to stay the entire week.    The weather forecast had been accurate so far and there was no way we would use the forty hours equipment rental. CAT was willing to just charge for the eight hours we used instead of the forty hours we scheduled.

I got stuck on the way out on the main road.    There was a channel about a foot deep and six inches wide that one side slipped into.  I always assumed the possibility of getting stuck on the quarter mile leading down to our property but not on the main road.   It was almost inevitable because I was pulling the tractor grossing about 14K pounds and the oil company hasn't been maintaining the road since we bought the property.   I walked down to the dozer and used it to pull the truck out.   

The plan had been to improve the land with ponds and extra food plots then prepare for hunting.   We didn't get anything completed due to the rain.  It seems the biggest priority will be improvements to the road.   Ideally, we would come out for weekend get-a-ways and hunting.   A washed out road or getting stuck in mud would be difficult problem with the closest person being a forty minute drive.  The thought of having to walk that distance in freezing temperatures is not pleasant.  Usually, we bring the jeep with us thinking it would be able to get the truck out if there was a problem.    I want at least another option.   I scheduled to get a 16,000lbs winch with a new bumper installed on the truck next week which will allow the truck to pull itself out.  

I think the best option to improve the road is a layer of gravel. I estimate it will take 200 tons of gravel to fill in bad spots and cover the road to our property.   The road is a little over a quarter of mile (.27) from the well pad to the RV.   It's about ten feet wide and a depth of three inches.    This is over 3,500 cubic feet of gravel.    It would take 188 tons of gravel at 19 cubic feet per ton. 

The total price for the gravel will be around $7,000 including delivery. It also means we won't get the tree work done or be ready for hunting season this year.  We will have to make a trip out there before winter to prepare the RV and perhaps have a load of gravel delivered to fill in the bad areas.  It will be worth the delay for a little more peace of mind.

Socialism FAQ

Socialist FAQ

Social media full of socialist who repeat endless slogans about the topic.    However, they rarely understand the subject and resort to name calling and eventually blocking.

The means of production should be owed by the workers

What does this mean exactly?   You can create a corporation now and provide stock options to employees.  Many businesses already do this.  This is the company being owed by the employees.  Not all stocks are publicly sold on the stock exchange.

No one should have billions of dollars

You're talking about someone who owns publicly traded stock in a company.   These are not the same thing as cash.   The value of the stock changes every day and can drop drastically if the company is not making a profit.    If these people were to sell the majority of their shares it would crash the price of the stock and bankrupt the company. 

Everyone should pay their fair share in taxes

What is the total they need to pay a portion of?   The government is constantly spending more money so it's impossible to pay a share of a moving target.  The top income earners already pay a majority of the taxes according to IRS data.   The proper solution is for the government to reduce how much it spends.

My (True) Socialism has never been tried before

This is completely wrong as many forms of socialism have been tried ending in disasters.  What ever you think socialism is has more than likely been tried before.    Socialism is an old idea.  The leaders in Guyana and Ivory coast even tried an experience where Guyana adopted socialism and Ivory Coast adopted free market principles.      Socialism failed miserably.

The Nordic countries are a socialist success

The government of those countries have denied being socialist.    They don't have a minimum wage.  They have low corporate taxes and few business regulations.   They have more capitalism than the United States. At best, they were a welfare state in the 1970's nearly bankrupting the country and have reduced their welfare programs drastically since.

The poor are poorer; rich richer

Who is poor depends on how you measure it and the news media often manipulates the data to support their headlines.   The poverty line is based on the CPI which is constantly modified to hide the true inflation.   The current CPI would be double the reported percentage if using the 1980 calculation. In addition, the poverty level is different depending where you look.   A middle class person in California would be considered rich in Mississippi. 

According to IRS data the median income has increased over the years which indicates growth of wages.   

Trickle Down Economics

This is a political slogan invented by Democrats in the 1920's.   The treasurer wanted to lower taxes on the rich because they were hiding their money in tax shelters.  His reasoning was to increase investments by making it more profitable to invest their money in the economy instead of tax shelters.  His efforts failed and it was dismissed as "trickle down economics" because people failed to grasp how investment in the economy would benefit people.   According to Sowell, the number of those earning over a million per year were 206 before the tax hikes and 21 while the taxes were high at 76%.    207 reported high incomes after the taxes were lowered again.    This is why lowering taxes often increases tax revenue.

There's no economist who invented or advocates this theory.   Keynesian economics, although difference from what the namesake pushed, according to Friedman, is a better description of 'trickle down' which is pushed by both parties.    This theory says the government can spend massive amounts of money on special interest groups that will make it to the pockets of citizens eventually.   The modern version is "modern monetary theory" which suggest the government can spend without consequences.

We should return to the tax rate at 90% like in the 1950's

The effective tax rate paid was never 90%.   At the time the average tax rate was 35% according to IRS data.  The top tax rate was set at 90% but they also had a complicated tax code which allowed many deductions reducing the effective rate.

The rich just move their money to places that aren't taxed.   It's often the middle class who suffer the most because they aren't able to move their money to tax shelters.

We need equality 

Equality under the law is something everyone has in the United States and most Western countries.  This means everyone has the same starting position and is treated the same by the law.

We need Equity 

Equity, the equal distribution of resources is not possible.   Siblings from the same household don't end up with the same distribution.    The only way to attempt this is a powerful central government that forces people to have equal resources.   The way this works is two cattle ranchers start with the same number of cattle; say 10.   Over a year, one works hard and raises good quality herds and increases the number to 20.  The second rancher doesn't put any effort into the cattle and most are underweight plus two die.  The government comes in and takes 12 from the first rancher, keeps 4, sells the remaining 8 to rancher 3.

This is a work in progress and will be updated as I encounter more socialist on social media. Check back often.

Half-Baked Survival Prepping

Half Baked Survival

Imagine a scenario where the government collapses or a nuclear attack.  The news would have you believe this will happen in the next few months. For whatever reason, the modern lifestyle falls apart. Many preppers sell kits and books claiming they will help you. There's endless websites, TV shows, and products available. These people are selling you dreams and products. Most people don't know what it takes to survive without local stores. You might be able to survive with freeze dried food for a couple of months but that's just an extended camping trip with your family not survival.

What most of these people are selling is a temporary solution to minor problems. A prepared "bug out" bag is great if there's a riot and you need to stay with grandma until order is restored. It works if you're avoiding a major weather events. You don't need a food supply for most of these events if you are just getting out of the affected area because most people can survive without food for several days. You will need more water than anything else.

It's important to understand what events you are preparing for and the length of time that might be needed to return to civilization. The chance of something happening that collapses society is unlikely. In most cases, staying in your home is probably the best option. What I will be discussing is things that are overlooked when survival means long term.

Travel

Many say you should avoid interstate highways because you could encounter bad people or traffic jams. Rest assured, you will encounter problems no matter what route you chose since we are talking about the end of civilization. Remember, thousands (or millions) of people are all trying to get out of the population center at the same time you are. The more extreme the event, the worse it will be. It's it's something like an incoming nuclear strike you can bet that everyone will be in a panicked rush to get out of the area.

A significant issue with back roads is they have fewer lanes and more traffic lights often through small towns. If the power is out then none of the traffic lights will be working and traffic congestion will be worse. Many will try alternative routes when the main highways are congested for any reason. These factors will also increase the likelihood of traffic collisions.

Off road paths such as power line and pipeline service corridors are probably the worse route. These are unknown areas and usually not maintained.  There could be ditches washed out from the last storm or creeks that run through them. There maybe downed trees or other debris and the vegetation could conceal obstacles. Rocks can easily ruin a tire. Even in the best circumstances, you will have to go slow through the area which will cost time and extra fuel. If you have a long distance to travel this could add days to get anywhere. Of course, you will need an off-road vehicle to even make the attempt but you will have the constant danger of getting stuck and avoiding obstacles.

The best option is to plan a route that will get you to your destination as quick as possible. You should be familiar with alternative routes along the entire way.

Land

You need to have a destination in mind before you grab that bag and head out You probably want to avoid camping sites with people you don't know. Do they want to help or want what you have? Are they part of the new secret police? Are they contaminated with radioactive fall-out? Did they bring their own supplies? The park could be full before the event occurs.

You need to prepare. You can't build or store things on public land. You can't run to the nearest wildlife preserve to start a colony over night. This means you will need land some where out in a rural area. The best place would be isolated but near a town where you can get supplies and information. You can't leave the city in a hurry with all your supplies.  Gathering and packing everything takes time better spent avoiding the rush out of the city.

Having land of your own will allow you to stockpile items and prepare like clearing trees and building a shelter. You need planning, supplies, and time to prepare. It's a familiar location where you know what's around and what travel conditions are like.

Shelter

A tent isn't going to work long term especially in poor weather. A tent lacks insulation and you can't build a fire inside. If it's damaged you probably won't have the materials needed to repair it. Most people will die from exposure. Sleeping on the bare ground is a good way to get hypothermia. You need a reliable shelter from the elements and storage. Remember, the more things you bring will require more space. If you want to use electronics you will need a good supply of batteries which take a lot of space. You should at least have a RV but a permanent cabin is better.  

Sanitation

Where do you relieve yourself without running water and a toilet? What will you use for toilet paper? You can't just use the local stream or pond because that will contaminate a potential water supply. You can just leave it outside in the open especially in groups of people since it will attract pest and spread disease. You can go for long period without taking a shower but how to handle waste will be a daily problem.

What about trash? You can burn a lot of it like most rural houses do sending smoke signals to your neighbors. You will still have issues with the toxic burnt left overs and metals/glass. This creates hazards for you and equipment.  Food waste will attract the local wild life and pest.

Vehicles

Vehicles are dead weight beyond getting out of the city. Forget what you saw in the Walking Dead where all vehicle will start with a little cursing after sitting for months and years. They rely on fuel. Fuel may not be available due to supply issues. You may not be able to afford it if it is available. The best case is you will have to go to a population center to buy fuel which is bad If you are trying to avoid the new government overlords or zombies. Fuel has a shelf life especially when it has ethanol in it.  Fuel pulls moisture from the air and gets contaminated without a stabilizer. This is usually about a year assuming it's in a good container.

The vehicle won't be worth anything if it breaks and you don't know how to work on it. Spare parts probably won't be available anyway.  Weather degrades the battery and it's worthless without a way to charge or replace it. Don't count on it starting if it has been sitting a couple of months or more. The part that will definitely wear out is the tires. There also the risk of nails or other road hazards. The best tires will also suffer from weathering. Off road travel is very demanding to tires especially road tires.

It doesn't matter what year you have. It's true modern cars have more electronics but they will run without most of them. Even the emission controls will not stop the vehicle from running. There's only a few sensors that will prevent the engine from running. The onstar can be disconnected if you are worried about being tracked. The only way to avoid sensitive electronics is to find a carburetor vehicle made before 1990. Probably from the first half of the 1980's or earlier.

The biggest problem is always going to be spare parts. If parts aren't available then oil and other fluids won't be available. Engine oil needs to be replaced at regular intervals otherwise the engine will wear out quicker and potentially suffer a failure.

Learn how to work on engines. Doing most repair work on vehicles is easy to learn. You also need a tire repair kit to patch tires. You must realize that any vehicle has an expiration date. Don't bet your survival on them.

Electricity

Forget about electronics for your survival.  Electronic require batteries and a power source. Disposable batteries are a limited resource and lose their charge over time. Rechargeable batteries need a power source and wear out fast. You can have an off grid system using solar/wind. These are dependent on the weather and provide limited amounts of power. They usually have deep cycle batteries that are not commonly found and will wear out. A severe storm could damage the solar panels and wind turbines. Wind turbines need lubrication.

Generators are out of the question too since they rely on fuel. Of course, It's possible to make diesel fuel from plastic and the engines are simple compared to a vehicle. Diesel generators are 4x more expensive than gas versions. Generators will also wear out. Most generators need an oil change after every 100 hours of use.  They are also noisy which will broadcast your position to the hungry masses and scare away local wildlife you need for food.

You will have to live without a mechanical machines and electronics.  These all have expiration dates without spare parts and supplies. What "off grid" people don't tell you is they still depend on a local store for supplies and are usually sponsored. This is an easy thing to test in your back yard. Most hunters find this out quickly when they try to make a hunting cabin.

Water

Water is going to be a biggest necessity from the start. You've been spoiled by a life of drinking clean tap water. There are a lot of things in creeks, lakes, and ponds that will make you sick. Maybe even kill you or make you wish for that sweet release. Many diseases and sickness are water borne.  Did someone dump sewer in upstream? Did run off water from your waste or trash burning contaminate the water?

This was a major problem for humans even for those who drank natural sources all their life. Store bought filters or survival straws are short term solutions because they wear out and must be replaced.

Food

You will need long term food supplies. A garden needs seeds, water, time, land, and fertilizer. Working the land by hand will be very difficult unless you have animals available that can work the plow.  Growing your own food requires a lot of land because you need an abundance of food for now and enough to last the winter. The more people you have, the more food you will have to grow. If you have animals then you will need even more food. I've read some say you need at least 800 square feet per person.

It's unlikely that you will find enough forage in a forest to keep you fed since you're competing against wildlife. It's dangerous to eat wild plants or mushrooms unless you know what you're looking for. This means you will need to grow or hunt for the majority of your calories. 

First, you will need a large stash of seeds. Beware of cheap seed kits from "survival" companies that have a low germination rate. You will need a large supply because bad things will happen. You might have crop failure due to weather, pest, or wildlife. Most plants you like to eat are also favorites of the local deer.

Water will probably be limited which means you will have to rely on rain. This will limit what you can grow because not everything does well in your local climate. Another issue is most unused land is highly acidic and nutrient poor. This will require large amounts of lime and fertilizer. This is difficult to do over a short period of time even with supplies readily available.

It could be months before you can plant your crops and if the plants grow it will be months before you can harvest. You will need enough food stored to last anywhere from a few months to a year. You may need more time if you haven't cleared land. Even if you have a bumper crop you will need to understand how to store the harvest.

If you are in an area with few people you can hunt and eat any available animal. The hungrier you get the less cute animals are. Hunting requires skills and is difficult even for the veteran hunter. Keep the ammo for defense which means you need a bow and trapping skills.  Once you have the animal, you have to learn how to process it and store the meat. 

Meal kits are a great supplement. I use them all the time when I go hunting. A lot of the newer kits are freeze dried and taste better than the average MRE. These kits generate trash and will require some kind of preparation.  It could be just boiling water or a heat source. This will be a problem in a time when fresh water and heating is in short supply.

Should you buy a 3 month supply with a 25 year shelf life? Sure. These type of food supplies can provide a good supplement in the case of a short term emergency. If the economy crashes some foods might become unavailable or too expensive. A storm might take out your electricity and food spoils. You can be the one who waits out the rush to the grocery store. If you buy a kit then prepare some of the meals so you're familiar with the method and taste.

Guns

You should have guns and know how to use them. You can never have enough ammunition. A gun will only be good for defense of your supplies from thieves or large animals.

Guns are reliable tools but ammunition is a limited resource.  The components are hard to obtain for most people in normal times. These limitations means that using a gun should be a last resort. A bow and arrow is a much better weapon. Trapping is free. In the worst case, you can run at the animal with a sharp stick.

Medical

You need to take care of yourself.  If you need medicine to survive then just be aware your supply is limited. Living without modern comforts is labor intensive so you better start hitting the gym now.

You should learn first aid and as many survival skills you can for a life without pain killers and anti-biotics. You can get a big supply of anti-biotics but these usually require dry storage at room temperature. Since not all anti-biotics work the same you may find no help from the ton of penicillin you got to cure an infection.

Conclusion

Survival is a lost skill for most people. Information is going to be your best friend.  Check this link for detailed survival information.

At the end of the world, your best bet is to make friends with the local Amish community and hope they take you in. City Boy.

 

Land: The Hunt

The Hunt

We went hunting in the second week of the season to avoid complications of travel during Thanksgiving.  The use of the RV instead of trying to build a cabin work out well.    We were able to stay a full week in comfort.    Over the week, we used 30lbs of propane for cooking and heat,  We brought 125 gallons of water and used about 85 gallons for waste, shower, and cleaning.   We ate mostly canned soup with some freeze dried meals from Mountain House.  We mainly drank bottled water even though the water transported in the tote is probably safe it just doesn't sound tasty.   We ran the gas generator in the afternoon till evening to recharge all the batteries and play movies for dinner.     The generator runs at about 83 decibels but due to topography and trees it is hard to hear more than 100 yards away.   We used about 5 gallons of gas every 12 hours.    We brought 25 gallons of gas and only used 15 by the end of the week.

 

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and able to go hunting that evening.  The weather was cool during the day reaching 60F most days and dropping to below freezing at night. We didn't see any deer until Monday morning at sunrise on the food plot.  The deer never broke heavy cover which was probably because they noticed the blind we were sitting in.  We were sitting about 40 yards from where they entered the food plot.   This is the second time they noticed the blind even though we tried concealing it with vegetation.   I don't think we will use them again.  They didn't run off in alarm but they retreated from the plot without eating. The thick tree cover prevents us from being father away.

 

The next few days we concentrated in the west part of the property.  However, we never saw the deer again.     We looked at the pictures from the game cameras to see what they were doing.     The deer had been in the food plot every morning at sunrise since it started growing including after Monday.   The deer had changed their previous year patterns and were coming from the hills in the east down to the food plot.  Rarely did they venture to the west.    In fact, they would often take their fill in the food plot then return to the hills in the east.   The bucks stayed further away from the food plots.   They came from the hills but there was no pictures of them in the food plot.   We didn't see some of the big ones from the previous year meaning they were probably harvested.

It seems our blind on Monday and us living a quarter mile to the north running the generator didn't scare them away.  In fact, they returned to the food plot the next couple of days. After Wednesday they we no where on the property even at night.

We later reviewed the previous years of pictures and the deer always leave the area during the second week of the season and are rarely seen again until late spring.     Our presence or absence doesn't seem to affect their patterns.  The deer have even stayed in the area while we used heavy equipment.

The main difference is the deer no longer go to the west side of the property in any significance compared to before where they were almost solely appearing there.  We even had a corn feeder in the west which were occasionally visited by a young buck in the middle of the night. This is why we didn't see any deer in the first part of the week since we were in the west and they had already left the area by the time we returned to the food plot.  

I think the lesson here is that the new food plot as a good food source in our area.   In that way our improvements are a success.    After Wednesday, we spent using stalking methods.  This gave us a chance to find the deer and explore areas we have never been too.    The main creek running through the center of the property abruptly starts at the base of hills that raise up 100-200 feet.   The land to the south rises quickly while the north is a more gentle slope.   Their main travel seems to be a bench that goes off to the east and sits between the creek bottom and the steep hill on the south.

Our improvements were so effective that we found a large battery on one of the trails.    We moved the cameras off the roads so we don't know when they were there.

I think this year we need to make further improvements.

1. Expand the current food plot in the east to about 2 acres
   
2. Create a new food plot in the west
3. Create two ponds in the east and west
4. Clear travel corridors.
5. Build a shed
   

The first problem is there is very little natural food in the area.    The entire region is covered with thick tree cover which means there is almost no grass.   The large hardwoods were harvested 30 years ago and conifers now dominate.  The major source of food we found was acorns with the exception of random feeders and food plots sprinkled through the area. Our food plot is just under an acre but it seems that it is too small to support all the hungry deer during the winter.   We need larger food sources to keep the deer in on our property longer.

The land is located on top of a complex of hills which raise an average of 400 ft compared to the surrounding low lands.  This means there is no natural bodies of water in the area aside from creeks which are mostly wet for short periods after rain. The closest body of water we found via exploration or Google Maps is almost two miles to the north and north east.   Thus, I think we need to widen and deepen some of the creeks so they will hold water beyond the rain.

Travel anywhere in the property is difficult.    The easiest travel is the logging road that cuts through the center.   However, cameras there in the past show the deer do not regularly travel on the road.    They prefer minor trails, creeks, and clearings that weave through the property.   In fact, with a food source the east the deer stopped traveling to west completely.      So it appears they were only going in the area in search of food which is no longer worth it.   It was difficult for us to walk to the west as creeks would become impassable and trails would suddenly end.

This means another week of renting a bull dozer.   In addition, we will probably rent a skid steer to shadow the dozer to clear the downed trees.  Right now, we plan for sometime in June.

At some point we need to build a shed.   First, it would help work out logistics of the ultimate goal of building a cabin.    Second, it would provide a place for batteries, solar panels, and much needed storage.      I don't like running the generator while we are there trying to hunt.   To replace the generator we will need a battery bank and a combination of wind and solar to keep them charged.     However, a generator will always be needed during the summer to power the air conditioner.

Land: A Place to Lay Your Head

Previous: A New Start
 

It's mid summer and there's no way to build a cabin before hunting season.  Our general rule is to stop all major changes to the land at least two months before hunting season so the deer will establish a pattern.    I believe the improvements will be worth it in the long term, but I they will most likely have a new pattern this year.  

On a typical trip, we stay in a hotel and go out to the property to work from morning to dark. We did this because being in town was convenient and comforts of the hotel.   We need to reduce the cost from  the hotel and gas not to mention losing time due to the extra driving.    We only stay in the camper when we are there to hunt and neither of us are excited about spending another night in the old camper.

Travel Trailer (RV)

We decided to buy a used RV to put where we cleared trees for the cabin.  Technically it's a "travel trailer" but RV just sounds better.   RV are self contained living quarters and can provide all the comforts including showers and toilets.   We searched around Facebook and ended up buying a used one from a local dealership after dealing with a few shady individuals on Facebook.    The first Facebook seller we talked to wanted a deposit because we it was the weekend and the bank was closed.   He called the next day and told us that he could no longer sell it to us.     It took a full day of chasing him around the city to get out deposit back.

We spent a couple weeks replacing roof vents and the external lights.     We cleaned it up and stocked it.  We didn't have any issues on the highway except we lost the furnace cover.    The truck's transmission didn't like pulling it up the mountain and over heated.     It was a huge relief to get it to the well pad where we would spend a couple of nights until the road and site could be finished.

The Last Mile

Initially, we thought we could transport the concrete from the truck to the build site via a dump trailer.   However, pulling the RV down to the location proved that would not work.   The road is only about 10 feet wide which is about the same as the trailer.   One of us had to drive the truck while the other guided to avoid major obstacles.  We will need to widen the road to at least 12 Feet and the turns to 16ft. The truck alone has a turn radius of 50FT so we will have to clear more area at the site to allow for the truck/trailer to maneuver.    If we transport concrete down to the site then we must be able to move as quickly as possible.

The RV was damaged while moving it due to narrow roads and debris in the road.  I was unable to avoid major pot holes on the oil/gas road and our road was barely wider than the RV.     The grey water tank is leaking somewhere and one of the stairs was destroyed.   We will have to fix these on one of the next trips.   

We place cinder blocks as stairs as a temporary solution.   I don't know where the grey tank is leaking from.    I think it may have been damaged coming down the oil/gas road when I hit a large pot hole.   It's possible it was just worn out and the bump pushed it over the edge.  It was slightly leaking when we had it at our house.  I will have to check it and get replacement parts for the last trip before hunting season.

The bath tub has a crack.   It appears the RV did not have enough support under the tub and flex of the plastic eventually caused it to crack.     The previous owner patched the hole with duct tape.    I believe I can fix it by filling underneath with foam and an epoxy patch.

Moving in

Once the RV was at it's new home we made a trip down to the old camper to pick up all out stuff.   The RV has a lot more space available than the old camper.    We also have a lot of stuff that we won't need any longer.     The portable toilet is a good back up in case the RV breaks.     We probably won't need to use the small 1lbs propane bottles anymore since the RV has two 30 lbs bottles.    For now, the extra stuff will stay in the old camper.   At some point I want to remove the old camper and let that area go back to nature.

What's in the Box

The RV is 30FT long and includes a full kitchen, queen size bed, shower and toilet.  This is a 5 star hotel compared to the nights we stayed in the old camper.    RVs run a duel power system at 12V (Battery and towing vehicle) and 120V system supplied by an external utility plug.   Everything runs off the 12V except for the air conditioner, outlets, and microwave.    The water heater, refrigerator, and furnace will run off 120V if it's available but they can also use propane and the 12V system.

Water

This RV has a 40 gallon fresh water tank with a utility connection.    The grey water has a 40 gallon tank which is where the water from all the drains go except for the toilet.    The black water is also 40 gallons and stores water directly from the toilet. The waste water is easy to dispose of.   Portable tanks are available for draining the tanks and transported to a disposal location.  

The next problem is a fresh water supply.     The onboard tank only holds 40 gallons and conservatively we could keep our usage to 10 gallons per day.     However, we would still need a way to bring water out there until we have a water well drilled.

 

We found a food-grade water totes on Facebook for $150. We filled the tote with water, soap,and bleach then let it soak for a day to clean it out.  These versatile tanks have many options available.    I got an 2" adapter to a garden hose.  It's better to use an adapter with a metal connector since the soft plastic of the other stripped easily.  I attached a water pump for RVs from the tank to the RV.     The RV water pump is a 12V pump that has a pressure cut-off switch built in.    It will run off the RV's battery and keep the pressure from the tank at 45 psi.   The tank can hold a 275 gallons of water but our trucks aren't able to carry that kind of weight.   Water weights about 8.3 lbs per gallon which means we could only hold 175 gallons in a 3/4 ton truck.       In our initial trip we filled the tank to 125 gallons which is probably the max we could do and safely navigate the roads in the area.    We could fill the tank completely using the trailer since a full tank will weight as much as the tractor.    However, this will mean bringing two trucks again.

We spent a week there while moving the RV in and working with the dozer.   After four days we used the 40 gallons and needed to use the tote to refill the tank and provide water for our shower.  I missed an adapter and ended up with two male ends of the hoses.   I manage to connect the two hoses with a generous application of duct tape so we could get by until we could get a proper adapter the next morning.

Electricity

The 12v system runs off a marine battery with 75 amp hours.    I expanded the capacity by wiring another battery in parallel which doubled the Amp hours available to 175ah.    In the summer months we can bring in a generator to keep the battery charged and power the air conditioner.   

However, when we come out for hunting I worry that running a generator will be too noisy although we couldn't hear the generator 200 feet away.    This is probably due to the topography of the land.   The land drops 150 ft in elevation a few hundred feet from the north border.    We couldn't hear the generator at the bottom of the hill.  The deer didn't seem to mind either.    We noticed several in the area even thought the generator was running and we were moving around and talking.

The generator has 4500 running watts with a five gallon tank that ran for 12 hours.   The RV needs a minimum of 3600 watts to power the RV.  (120V X 30 AMP)   It's not cost effective for us to have the electric utility installed due to the minimum cost of $30,000 to run 1.25 miles to the nearest poles.     The only option for us would be to install an inverter on the battery to run the 120v system.    A combination of solar and wind could keep the batteries charged.    The problem is solar/wind is an unreliable power source.     During the week most days had little to no wind with the average temperature around 95F and 65% humidity.   The sun was available half the time due to clouds which means we would have drained the batteries in the first day.

It would be unlikely that the solar/wind would supply enough power during the summer time.   However, during the winter the furnace runs on the 12v system and doesn't draw as much power as the air conditioner. 

Stability

I think we will need to put the RV on more permanent footing.    It normally sits on duel axles with jacks to level and stabilize it.    This wasn't meant to be permanent.   The tires will degrade over time and eventually lose air.    The jacks aren't meant to carry the weight of the RV so a flat tire will cause the RV to shift.    The frame is a H pattern and I think we can raise the RV to place cinder blocks at the corners and middle.   To set a mobile homes they will raise and lower the tongue like a sea-saw to place blocks in the lifted area.    

We already have a lot to do next year

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