Muab Dib Michaux Hunt Report???

[Loggy]

Hey Muab....we need a hunt report on Michaux??  

Hope all is well!!

[Dutch]

Sadly, he hasn't been on since early July. I doubt we will get a report

[Loggy]

Dec 21, 2022 17:42:29 GMT -5 Dutch said:

Sadly, he hasn't been on since early July. I doubt we will get a report

Have a feeling though that if ole Muab whacked a huge Michaux buck he  miraculously somehow would reappear here!! lol

[Muab Dib]

Hey Loggy and Dutch. Saw your post Loggy and checking in. Been following, just not logging in. I've had some major back issues this year (upper spine fusion in Feb) and lower lumbar surgery coming in the near future. Hard to walk. No strength in my legs. I didn't get out at all in archery. Was fortunate to hunt rifle with the boy at my side. Made it out to my stand a number of times with him helping which is all I could hope for. No deer for me but I did see a very large buck with high rack and long forks on each side. Had him dead to rights for a couple of minutes but neither me or the boy could find a third point or brow so he walked. Made my season really. Just felt blessed to be out there again and especially so with the boy. Curt (the boy) on the other hand had a fantastic season. He got a big doe and a beautiful buck in Michaux during archery. Also he got a doe in 5B during archery, so I'll be eating venison despite striking out. My brother got a BB up here and Curt's friend shot a real nice 5 point during archery across the road up by old Michaux Camp. Didn't see many deer, but they're here. So, it was a good year for everyone. Thanks for asking.

Muab

[Loggy]

Great report Muab!! Glad you were able to get out considering your back issues. Congrats to your boy on that beautiful buck…great pic plus congrats to others in your group!

My Mrs had a lumbar facet spinal block treatment 2 years ago and “knock on wood” still alleviating her lower back pain.  

Best wishes on your lower lumbar surgery.

[acorn20]

Great looking buck your son got. Sorry to hear about your back problems, Muab. Best wishes to you and yours.

[dougl]

Very nice Muabb.Hopefully you'll be on the mend soon.

[Muab Dib]

Thanks all.

[Dutch]

I'm sorry for all your medical issues. Glad you and your son got out at least.

Curts buck is incredible. Good for him

Hope 2023 is a better year for you Muab

[Muab Dib]

Curt's a true hunter Dutch...He hunts long and hard and surpassed me long ago. Proud of him. And I hope you and you're family are doing well Dutch. Have a very merry Christmas!

Muab

[Dutch]

Dec 22, 2022 16:30:50 GMT -5 Muab Dib said:

Curt's a true hunter Dutch...He hunts long and hard and surpassed me long ago. Proud of him. And I hope you and you're family are doing well Dutch. Have a very merry Christmas!

Muab

Thank you Mike. I wish you and your family the very best!!!!

[Loggy]

Muab.....seeing some improvement in Michaux SF??

A group of us flinter guys from HPA used get together to put on Late Season drives there for a few seasons. I know back then it was rare to even cut a track in the snow or even see a deer when no snowcover. Plus I remember the habitat being on the poor side.

[Muab Dib]

From what we see Loggy, the deer numbers are pretty low still, and the habitat hasn't changed that much, at least in our area. The cuttings they did a decade ago turned into largely birch and sassafras with some maple, and the deer move to various areas in the Fall wherever the mast is. In the fall, hunt the feed and odds go up. They have changed routes over the year depending on the growth of the cuttings and they utilize it for cover and bedding, but its starting to thin out as the birch grows. Nothing on the floor grows as the birch in the summer keeps the sunlight out. If I remember right, 100 years ago Michaux was largely a pine forest and pines are what seem to do best up there with good natural regen. What gets the place hopping is the rut. Only seems to take one doe in heat to get the boys from all over converging on her. Buck that we haven't seen all year seem to come out of the woodwork during the rut. And they do have bigger racks then decades ago. AR. But as far as doe, we see some year round but not a lot. Still... worth the hunt and the mountains are beautiful.

Muab

[Loggy]

Certainly has the acreage if I remember over 80,000 and if better managed for the deer habitat has potential to really improve. As we know not a DCNR goal as in many other of our SF's such as the Loyalsock  SF of approx 115,000 acres up near my hunting camp.

We used to start out our Late Season Flintlock hunts in/around the Laurel Lake area which certainly was a beautiful area!! Hey...in any event your gang had a good season!! I'm sure your experience hunting the area for years contributed. 

[muttleysback]

Hey Muab, old friend. Long time no see or hear. sorry to hear about your back problems. Seems to go with us being men and getting long in the tooth. In the words of Bette Davis, "getting old ain't no place for sissies."
Life is still good, however, if you can get to camp and see deer.
Your buddy from the past,
George

[CoureurDeBois]

Dec 22, 2022 9:49:59 GMT -5 Muab Dib said:

Hey Loggy and Dutch. Saw your post Loggy and checking in. Been following, just not logging in. I've had some major back issues this year (upper spine fusion in Feb) and lower lumbar surgery coming in the near future. Hard to walk. No strength in my legs. I didn't get out at all in archery. Was fortunate to hunt rifle with the boy at my side. Made it out to my stand a number of times with him helping which is all I could hope for.

Looks like you had a good season, always good to get out with the kids, even when your in pain. Oldest grandson, 15, got his first buck this year, a 5 point
As for your back pain and tired legs I know the feeling, I'm right there with you.
I have had 3 back surgeries over the past 8 years to remove the pain from spinal stenosis.
The first one was done by a Neurosurgeon in April of 2014, and lasted 3 1/2 years. It was probably the most successful of all of them.
The pain came back in the fall of 2017. This time I went to a spinal surgeon who has a very good reputation. I would of gone back to the neurosurgeon, but he was no longer in the area. He fused L2 and L3, removed a cyst and more spinal stenosis in February of 2018.
The last one was August 2021 by the same spinal surgeon. This time he did decompression surgery and fuse L3 through T12. The lower back pain is not near as bad now, though I still have nights where I sleep on the recliner instead of bed. Usually caused by something I did that I shouldn't have done. But the legs are always tired to different degree on different days. I can usually control the pain, and the weakness in the legs somewhat by taking 2 Advil tablets a couple of times a day. If that doesn't work I still have some of the medium and low high test meds I got after the surgery, but I hate taking them and seldom do. I even carry a few in a prescription bottle when hunting, just in case I need them so I can get out of the woods. Thankfully I've never had to use any.
I new that I had lost some muscle strength the last few years, but didn't realize how much until a couple of months ago. My 15 year old grandson has been thinking about getting into archery. I handed him my old Jennings compound, and he couldn't pull it back. When I went to show him how it was done, I could no longer pull it back either. So I bought a set of resistance, bands and have started to work out 6 days a week for an hour or so, and the wife's and myself do a daily dog walk of a mile or so, I think it's helping some. I'm still not near where I want to be, hopefully by next year, God willing, I can at lease hunt again without weak legs.
Hopefully the doctors can relieve you of the discomfort, and you can once again hunt the woods of Michaux State Forest. I have a close friend from my college days that was a forester there for a number of years.
Take care and Merry Christmas