when I became disabled from osetos arthritis , I couldn't raise my hands above my nipples, I sold all my land , couldn't do nothing no more I kept 19 acres my garden area and my Dexter cattle, one day while getting some fuel I heard an old man complaining about getting small ricks of wood, he was in his late 70's and was wearing oxygen, I talked to him a while and told him I cound not do almost anything, but I would try to bring him some wood it took me an entire week to cut split and load, I was happy I was alone in the woods because i'm not the least bit ashame to say during that first week I had tears in my eyes snot running down my chin, but I took him a rick an one half,he ask how much I told him nothing I needed the range of movement, when I left I found $25 dollars in my door pocket, so for 2 more years I cut an stacked his wood a few night logs the rest split to be carried by the elderly, by the end of the first winter I was cutting splitting a rick a hour, I grew up hauling hay and cutting fire wood, my sthil is 5.67 cubic inch, or also known as a sthil 066 not for consumer use write right on it, it's rated for a 4 foot bow bar, I use a 20 inch bar with flat bottom chain, I can cot a 8inch tree into so fast that when it sets down on the stump it catches the top chain, god I love that saw, I only cut for 2 winters for him because they amputated my right leg below the knee, the vacuum cover that holds my prosthetic on I go thru 4 to 5 a year, insurance is starting to *****, then they cut 1/3 off my other foot. I still cut with my saw, but just trees and brush around my fence line, and mess with my Dexter's, all are registered but for 2 moma cows who's babies end up in my freezer, just picked up my meat 2 days ago, and to day my other grade cow whom I was told was bred to an angus has a pure white face a black patch over both eyes and a tiny white tip on her tell, angus my but, lol, , a young heifer my other whom was the mother of my freezer meat had a month ago a solid black heifer she is pure blooded but the never registered her, I keep 2 grades for raising my farm fresh steaks, I'm slow and no longer in my youth but they give me reason to get up everyday, and sometimes I even get my blood pumping last week I went to open a couple pens by my head gate they were all grown up
half way thru one I don't know if I felt something, or heard something, but I froze I looked down an a copperhead was between my legs, before I could think what would be smart I had already drew my Ruger single ten and was faning the hammer between my legs, I did no get bit but I will freely admit I did have to find a place to sit down an res a bit, then went and got my nephew and tape measure , I always tell him to watch for snakes an like all young in one ear out the other, I sent him in the pen told him I lost my knife when I knew he was standing on the snake I said there it is between your feet, boy should of learned to play basketball I bet he cleared 4 feet screaming like well ya'll know,, no offence meant, I went and carried it out and I did not stretch the snake like I've seen others do before measuring them I just laid him out straight he was 33 inches, looked like I hit him 5 times,, once my shoe on my prostatic foot but not the foot aint got a clue where the other 4 hit, because in my rush I emptied my weapon, with out taking a steep, I feared if I tried to get away he might bite me and since one leg is fake I felt that even a 50/50 chance was not good enough, so I felt a chance of shooting myself better odds then getting bit, yet again the lord was with me yet again.
Dawg
@mismost , I grew up very similarly, school of hard hunting knocks, hunting and fishing kept me out of a lot of trouble as a youngster. I'm an avid deer and duck hunter and have a 600 acre ranch to do it on.
My bestest hunting buddy is my 9 year old son, who's trained properly and safer with a gun than most adults I know.
My wife hunts and has taken some nice deer in the last few years, my 16 year old daughter got her first deer with a bow last year.
I've pretty much traded the rifle for a bow when deer hunting, but love to get after a big green head mallard with the shotgun.
Nary a mishap in this responsible gun owners home either, owning guns doesn't make you a gun "nut"!!
