I was back for another round of the great Clean Up/Clean Out of my parents house. It's not for the faint of heart. I was often dreaming of being off in the woods, watching the trail for a deer to turn up, breathing that fresh North Country air....... And I had an idea.
Without exception, everything you find in a project like this comes in multiples. Bottles of an over the counter pain med or vitamin? Dozens. Walking canes? I think I came across eight of them. And I got an idea. Not a good idea, nay, it was a Great Idea.
One area we favor for bow hunting is a special type of public land. Because it is along a river you can hunt there, but not put up any stands or blinds that stay overnight. So, its pack everything in, and pack it out. Quietly.
For me that is a fold up blind, my trusty folding chair, my crossbow of course, and ideally a rest for same. I'm a good shot out to 30 yards with a rest. The problem is that the one I like to use is a bit big and klunky. So....why not just modify one of these walking canes? Lightweight, adjustable, and there were so many that I just took four or five home for experiments!
Here's my first version. Simple is best. Just use hose clamps to attach a spike to the bottom. This lets you just stick it into the ground at the proper spot.
And the crossbow rests very nicely in the original hand grip.
So, what did I forget? What is the fatal flaw?
I'd forgotten that when I came home with these things that Hank the Dog immediately stopped his happy pup celebrations and started sniffing them with intense interest. I won't trouble your day with the long list of odors that could be grabbing his attention, but rest assured, any deer within a couple of miles would notice!
I had him check out the final product just to be sure. Yep....sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.....
Well, maybe if I cut off the foam hand grip and bury it in a pile of leaves and bark for a couple of weeks, then spray it with anti scent stuff...........