And time passes............

Times sure passes quickly, and things happen in life that make the wheels move slower.  I understand I've been away for some time now.

Life events:

• Hunting 2013 - (no luck)
• Christmas 2013 and visiting kids 5 hours away (several times)
• Spring 2014 and the beginning of house hunting (to buy)
• Late Spring, 2014 - enjoying some awesome sunsets (see below)
• Summer 2014 - house hunting continued......(no luck)
• Late Summer 2014 - finding a new rental at the last minute
• October, 2014 - moving to new rental
• October, 2014 - hunting in Central Oregon (see below)
• October, 2014 - wind storms and fallen trees (see below)
• November, 2014 - gathering firewood

No photos have been retouched!

One thing that may be of interest to some of you. I took a .308 model 88 Winchester and had a .338 Federal chambered barrel put on it.  That gives you quite a bit more energy for Elk hunting in the brush on the coast, or in the thick timber anywhere.

As all of us know, this is not a long range cartridge, but comes into its own at short to medium range.  You can take any short action rifle in .243, .308 and others, in any action you find those calibers in.  You can find many sights on the .338 Federal on the internet.  I find them interesting.  I hope you will too.

I did go deer hunting around La Pine, OR this year (where I live), and not to any surprise, the season around here is way too early, it was way too warm and the deer were not moving.  It was a full moon, so needless to say, it was a bust for me. 

I am seriously thinking of moving back to the Oregon coast (anywhere west of the Cascade Mountains), where my luck has been much better in years past.

My La Pine hunting area - north and west of La Pine, not too far from the Deschutes River.

High winds and lots of rain (which is unusual for this area) caused a huge pine to topple in our new rental's front yard. Lots of cleanup... kept my busy... and much needed firewood.

And of course, no buck sightings in the mountains around here, but they come right into our yard!

Oh well.... nothing fills your hands better than a well-loved wife and your favorite rifle......

Good hunting............oh... and hope you've had a chance to take a gander at my book. I still have plenty of copies to go around. You can purchase one right here on my blog... would make a great Christmas gift for someone who's into hunting and shooting, or just likes some good stories.

...........and I'll try to make my next post happen sooner, than later... unless life gets in the way.

Mac

SOME PHOTOS FROM MY BOOK.

Here are some of my favorite photos from my book.

I grew up and learned most of my hunting and shooting skills on the Sixes River in Southern Oregon. This is one of the "houses" I lived in from 1958 to 1967. (Pg. xx of my book).

My cousin, Jerry Lively, is mentioned alot in my book! His knowledge and expertise in prairie dog dusting and bench rest shooting astounds me! (Pg. xix of my book).

Mountains of SW Washington where I've hunted for years.  Note the thick stands of timber and Jack Fir, and areas where deer will come out to eat along the edges of the timber. (Photo by Eric Fossm)  (Pg. 6 of my book).

My cousin, Jerry's, 6mm/.284 Winchester with Pac-Nor 30" barrel. (Pg. 13 of my book).

My mom and dad with a Black Bear that my dad shot by Sixes River in 1948.  He used his 32 Winchester Special for a quick and easy shot. (Pg. 30 of my book).

(Pg. 38 of my book).

One of the many reloading manuals I've used throughout the years. (Pg. 83 of my book).

One of the many charts I use in my book. This is in my chapter entitled "Making a Case for the Right Powder". (Pg. 174 of my book).

My old Weaver K4 post reticle - great for brush! (Pg. 236 of my book).

A good kneeling position. Notice how my elbow rests on the inside of my knee. This photos is in my chapter entitled "Making a Case for Shooting Skill", where I picture proper and improper shooting positions.  (Pg. 261 of my book).

My dad killed uncountable game animals. I can't count how many deer I've seen dad kill, on the run, in their beds, uphill, downhill, and across draws.  He was a surgeon with his rifle. (Pg. 276 of my book).

From my chapter entitled "Making a Case for the Truth". (Pg. 322 of my book).

My old hard to find .22 Semi-Auto Remington Model 66 Nylon.  This photo was in my chapter entitled "Making a Case for my Top Picks".  (Pg. 330 of my book).

Well, there you have it - just a smattering of my photos and illustrations in my book (there are over 100 photos and illustrations).

Here's a chapter title page:
 

Here's a page from my book so you can see how it is set up:

That's it for now!

Mac McLeod