Doe down, both tags full, great end to a great season!

Well I've decided to do a little messing around.

I currently have 10 gallons of beer fermenting. A rye IPA and a Berliner Weisse. Ive decided to split the Berliner Weisse into 2 different batches, add some more wheat wort to the new one and pitch brett into it to see what happens. Ive never played with bugs other that the lacto i used on the beer to begin with, so its going to be interesting to say the least. I don't even know if the brett will eat the 3 gallons of wheat base i put in there, but something will. Ive got it in a bucket in the back of my office closet and will check it out in 6 months!

I've also been sitting on 10 pounds of sage honey, and decided to go ahead and make some mead today. I went with 3.25 gallons of water, so it should be a sweeter mead. Ive heard that sage meads age well, so this will be one to put in splits and lay down.

I'm not brewing again until I've got the 6 tap kegerator up and going, hopefully by the Gator Bowl.

After 2 years of sitting in the heat and cold. Practicing countless hours. Passing on many, getting busted by many more, and simply ignored by a vast majority, I finally brought down my first Deer with my bow Saturday morning. I cant describe the feeling, but it has definitely been a crazy ride. I cant wait to get back in the stand and see whats next.


I wont have an official score for at least 60 days, but this buck is 14 points and has a ton of character. I couldn't be more pleased or thankful.

Thanks to Ted for the "heads up" and allowing me to join him on numerous hunts on his property.


The ranch rule is, you cant shoot anything smaller than what you have shot before. So I will be filming, skinning, and shooting does for a while.

This Youtube link is pieces of footage I shot with my digital camera, not the greatest but it documents it ok.

I'm leaving for deer camp in 4 hours. The only problem is I cant clear my head. Its not falling out of the stand or work or something silly like that. I don't really know what it is. Its like a feeling of optimism (i actually had to spell that word out loud, I cant remember the last time I typed it and it still doesnt look correct). There is a south wind tomorrow, and even though I will glow like a Christmas tree come first light, I will have my face to the wind. There really is something to it. The last 3-4 times Ive had a South wind Ive faced North, since thats where the trails are, but the majority of the movement has always been up wind.

We arent seeing too many of the big boys around. They have all retreated into their own little worlds again, to rest up, shed and grow larger antlers, then rise to outsmart us again next season.

There is a few hanging around, but they are most elusive. The "2nd rut" is going on right now we think. For those of you who dont know what that means imagine this:

Your in 8th grade and you are at the first dance of the year. Look around you. See all the girls that arent being danced with?

Those are the deer that are "in season" right now. All the others have been bred, so its their turn now. Hopefuilly there will be very few twins this year. The population is crazy right now.

Well good night and good luck. Take a look at the ghost that walks among us (above), hes pretty and he made it through rifle season.

My first attempt at a Saison. The head lacks a little retention, but its only been in the bottle 6 days. Its very light, with a nice fruity ester from the yeast. The finish is dry and disappears fast. I think next time ill start to ramp up the temp sooner and hit 85. I'm going to enjoy this beer, and I really don't think its going to last long.

In an effort to start self filming my hunts I was playing around with my little digital camera. Its fun to add music to the videos and such. Hopefully this time next year we will have some good hunting footage.

A good reason to always have your safety harness on. As I write this I am sitting in my tree. The only difference from this and any other day is the bottom part of my stand is on the ground. You might see it in the picture. Fall guy safety harness probably saved my neck. Literally.

I cant understand how this system works. Any of the systems in place for that matter.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award (often known simply as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman), named after former college football player and coach John Heisman, is awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the U.S.
-Wikipedia

To me that means that the best player should win the Heisman. The player that was the best in his position and so good that it puts him over all other positions, should win. An individual award that should have nothing to do with that players team or conference.

We all know that the true definition of this award is complete and total bullshit. Yet players are being left out of the voting that need some looking into. And yes I'm Biased.

Graham Harrell- 436 yds per game, 5235 total yards, 45 TD's leading all scoring, passing yards, total yards, passing TD's in all of college football.

Michael Crabtree- redshirt freshman, All-American, 125 catches, 1861 yards, 21 TD's, 155 yds per game average. Leads in total receiving, 6th in total scoring, 1st in receptions per game, 1st in receiving yards per game.

In most of these categories, there isn't anyone close. In the entire country, there isn't anyone close. So why aren't they even being considered? Why has the true intention of this award been so misdirected? Why is the award given year in and out to a player on a team that is in the BCS?

Dollar bills? I have no idea but its bullshit, just like the bowl system is total bullshit.

There is no reason why a Kansas team should go to a BCS bowl when they didn't even go to the Big 12 Championship, and worse the team that beat them to get there (Missouri) doesn't even get a BCS game.

If there was ever a year that shook its fist and shouted to the heavens for a playoff system, this is it.

Fuck you Heisman, you star fucker!

Fuck you BCS you money grubbing whore!

Well, tonight's the night. If Adalius Thomasof the new England Patriots can get two more tackles the Thurber-Mingus Donkeypunchers, the 2006 TFA Champions will advance to the finals yet again. Standing in the way is the Saratoga Carriers, which are more of a nuisance than anything else. They came out strong but have since found their place.



Since the game started I'm about 2 Pilsner Urquell (in the can! so much better!) and 3 Duvel's. Which means Devil in Belgium, or something. Needless to say the screen has a nice little haze around it, like when swimming in a pool with too much chlorine.

the only thing that would make this night better, would be having meat in the freezer. Its Dec 4 and no deer down at the camp. Is it possible to get blanked out 2 years in a row? Not just me but all the bow hunters at the Rockin T Lodge and Deer Camp. I'm going to spend every vacation day i have left in the stand from sun up till sun down, face to the wind, and hopefully, patience will prevail and the crazy hot weather this winter will provide one of us with a nice Buck to deck the halls.

***UPDATE***

Carriers win by 1.5 points. Head to head we were both fighting for a playoff position. The way it should have happened it did. Congrats Rocketfuel, you may be a Yankee, but your my yankee!

Batch sparging is going to be the death of me. 1.073 Target OG, i get 10.39 like 45% and I based my recipe on 61%. This sucks. Its a huge IPA that will not be so huge. Im having to dump DME and Turbinado just to get the gravity up and Im not convinced I can even get there. Fly sparging is starting to sound better and better.

On a bathroom wall in a Gainesville, TX gas station. Are they saying the toilet is short?

There isn't much finer than Deer Camp Pale Ale while cooking a fat ribeye. Hopefully big boy comes into bow range tomorrow. (notice antlers in background, those be rattling antlers, from a big buck that met his demise fighting over a lady)

And just a piece of advice: No matter the circumstances do not ever by steak from wal-mart. I know it sounds like something you would never do, but please, for the love of all thats holy, don't do it. It cooks up gray and tough, with minimal effort. I threw it out on the road, and the next morning it was still there, and coyotes aren't that particular.

On the road in Tulsa today. This is one of the best pubs around if you enjoy good beer. Huge selection of imports and domestic craft beers. If you are ever in the Tulsa area I highly recommend it. Although the choice of music tonight was interesting. Dont get me wrong, I love Falco and REO Speedwagon as much as anyone, but having flashbacks from junior high dances while drinking a fine Belgium beer is a little weird. They have a blog as well, http://mcnellies.blogspot.com/ should you choose to peruse.

Now the hard part begins. How does one wind down from a long day of work with Laura Branigan's hit "Self Control" running wild in your head? Go find it and listen to it, you'll understand.

What a crazy couple of days. The weather here at the compound started turning cold just plain ducky just before Thanksgiving. The holiday was good and the football was even better. This year has been probably the most entertaining year in college football I've ever seen. Missouri winning the Big 12 North? thats almost as crazy sounding as Kansas undefeated, and skinny Mangino. They did beat the raiders pretty good so I guess them winning the north eases the pain a little.

Gator Bowl Bound? Beats the hell out of the Alamo Bowl I guess. Maybe we will draw a good school, beat them and get their coach fired. Seems to be our post season lot in life. I like the thought of a New years day bowl.

Bow season has been pretty uneventful so far. This weather really makes me want to get out in the tree. There really is nothing like sitting in a tree for 8 hours in 40 degree cloudy rainy weather. I was suppose to try and get out there tomorrow, but it looks like I wont be in the woods again anytime soon. Ive had a few chances that I passed on early, thinking i would have ample time. 30 or so days left and it looks like the freezer might be bare this spring.

The Brody and Owen are good, but going a little stir crazy just like the old man. The lovely wife is in Austin visiting the newest addition to the Phillips family. Good stuff all around.