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Looks great! Little full… Lotta sap…

You western guys are lucky to be able to pursue your trees in a natural environment. Our herds are tightly regulated here in the east, that leaves high fence establishments as our only real opportunities.
The wife doesn't have any qualms about the ethics of high fence hunts and is a bit of a score junkie, although symmetry is usually the final deciding factor before she pulls the trigger.
My work is done, the trophy is mounted, lights are hung and anti cat measures are deployed. She and the kids will get to the ornaments later todayView attachment 305513

They always get hung up on symmetry and net score. I think gross matter mores. Nobody seems to appreciate a big atypical.
 
At least I didn't go to a tree farm and try to pass it off as a legitimate free range tree.
Hey now, these places don’t have fences, it’s free to leave if it wants! But they choose to stay in place, I’m the bad guy because I take advantage of their folly.

Heck no, I’m the smart one. I got brownie points from the wife as they serve coffee. Kids were happy with the free popcorn. For Christ sake there was even a petting zoo. What doesn’t say Christmas like a pair of old goats and a small donkey you can pet?

It’s not like there is a struggle and hunt purity scale on it like there is with Utah elk. Geeze
 
When it comes to trees, I am a road-hunter through and through.

Switched it up and cut a Subalpine fir this year. With the lack of snow we were able to get up into country west of us that we typically don’t.

In his book, “The Beast God Forgot To Invent”, on Christmas Trees, Jim Harrison wrote:

“There are no perfect trees anymore than there are perfect human beings.”

Same goes for family pictures, but maybe not afternoons.

View attachment 303457
I LOVE the middle child expression of enthusiasm. This one needs to be the holiday card photo!
 
I wish I had pictures, my wife and I used to go cut down small firs after moving in together. True Charlie Brown xmas trees!!!
 
Dunno why I just dont grow a few on the property. Found this one down the road. It was a little skinny for its young age, 30' height, and likely suffering from TWD. Still a decent white fir. Put it out of its misery with the hand saw that I found last year. Some flatlander left it in the snow after poaching their tree so now its mine.

Things that worked this year:
Half an arrow shaft and some twist ties to hold up the star.

Things that didnt:
Xmas lights as usual

Half the ornaments are 20-40 years old. Dont make em like they used to.

image.jpg
 
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wow! Some of you guys cut 20+ year old trees 😂😂😂😂
One of the smaller ones we have ever cut was 96 yrs old. I felt bad. It'd struggled for almost a century then finally caught a break as a wildfire burned through, sparring it, but opening the canopy. It a one year of great, thick growth ring, before we hacked it down.
 
If you really want a slammer need to hunt from the sky.

▶️ Watch this reel https://www.facebook.com/reel/887352533059731?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=WaTAxP
A different kind of "hunting from the sky," but I used satellite imagery to on OnX to find my old tree spot. Certain elevation band for nobles, thinned timber, road access, etc. In a heavily forested, Doug Fir rich place like Western Oregon, e-scouting really paid off.

And yes, I realize how bro-ey that sounds. My brim was flat, the Mtn Ops were running hard, and my hit posse came in clutch...
 

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