other hobbies

[Irrelevant]

I drive back roads.

Most weekends outside of hunting season (and many weeknights during the summer), I plan routes that get me from point A to point B on FS and county roads. I bought an FJ Cruiser specifically for this, and have put 22k miles on it the last six months, almost all recreational miles. Going for a long drive on backroads with a good audio book seems to get my head straight more than anything else.

Word, that's been the sunday recreation for my family for two generations now (minus the audio book, it was always windows down heater/AC on high). My grandparents started it, as owners of two small businesses, they drew a line in the sand, Sunday = funday = drive in the woods. My parents continued it. My kids need a little more action right now, but I'm sure I'll take up the past time at some point.

 

[JTHOMP]

I have been into gardening and improving soil naturally for quite some time. Watching things I plant grow to their full potential, and eating them bring me great pleasure.

I have gotten into growing super hot peppers and dehydrating/smoking for powder or making hot pepper jelly. My wife and I love the heat and have many many options to spice our dishes.

Anything think i can do to improve my land for not only our use but for wildlife as well.

Started a small sheep farm this last year and have been enjoying that and very excited to see my kids grow up in a way I never had the chance to.

Woodworking/building is something I have always taken pride in, although my projects lately all seem to be for my animals.

I also enjoy cooking very much and try to step my game up with cuts I haven't used before. Hunting helps tremendously with this and I dont shy away from the hard preparations I seek them out hoping to make the best dish possible.

And also BBQ/smoking-this is an artform I have been working on for years and i am more in tune with my smoker than ever before. Looking forward to firing it up soon.

My first leg of lamb from our first lamb off the farm

TwistedSage would very much like to see some shared posts about your small farm along with peppers and making pepper jelly. I grew up on a small dairy farm, but with my own four acres I want to make it as productive as possible. And pepper jelly is just delicious.

 

[Doublecluck]

Interesting how hobies change as you age. In my 20’s when I wasn’t hunting it was all about fast cars and fast boats. First car I built at 19 was a 89 mustang with a procharger. That car would pull the front tires 12” of the ground. Won a lot of money street racing that thing. Most of it went back in the car. Brought my first daughter home from the hospital in it. By my mid 20’s I figured out that races should happen on tracks not the street Followed the fun Ford events in the southeeest for a while Amateur drag racing. This was the last car I put together at 28. Mid 10 second car.

Lately I got in to photography a bit. In fact I often enjoy taking photos as much as actually shooting.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Nice Pics!

 

[Art Vandeley]

I drive back roads.

Most weekends outside of hunting season (and many weeknights during the summer), I plan routes that get me from point A to point B on FS and county roads. I bought an FJ Cruiser specifically for this, and have put 22k miles on it the last six months, almost all recreational miles. Going for a long drive on backroads with a good audio book seems to get my head straight more than anything else.

I used to do this all the time! I need to make time do this more.

 

[Scarey]

Fishing

Bb-Qing

 

[TwistedSage]

TwistedSage would very much like to see some shared posts about your small farm along with peppers and making pepper jelly. I grew up on a small dairy farm, but with my own four acres I want to make it as productive as possible. And pepper jelly is just delicious.

My goal for some time has been to lower my living expenses as much as possible and that is kind of the goal with the small farm. I'm well under the stocking rate here but for right now I'm really only trying to sell enough lamb to make my land payment, pay any expenses for the sheep, and put a couple lamb in the freezer for my family.

The peppers have been a passion of mine since I was a teenager and is what I would actually like to make some money from. I know it's not everyones bag but there is a decent sized market for really hot pepper products, 99 percent of products out there use habanero, ghost, and a few Carolina reaper products out there. I have been growing and searching for my favorite super hots from all over for some time. Including Trinidad 7 pots, devils tounge, jamaican hot chocolate, moruga scorpions, yellow brain strain, white ghost. And various color phases of each. Each of them well try dehydrated some are just hot as chit, some have a deep flavor associated and pair good with certain dishes or soups. Some I smoke dry them on the bbq pit and those are my favorite for any kind of chili or stew.
I'm always trying different jellies but there's 2 that I am very happy with, one a hot strawberry jelly that goes good on crackers plain or with cream cheese and any other topping. And another plum jelly that is a little looser that some people use to marinade pork or fish with for a sweet spicy flavor.
I really want to try and make this a pilot year for the pepper products and test the market and my production capabilities. Speaking of which it's time to get seeds started.

 

[Dave N]

Guess I forgot one of my favorite hobbies/passions! Was reminded of it today with the new posts here. Last night the wife and I went up to Chicago to see one of my all-time favorite rock bands. I've been to so many concerts that I would have a hard time remembering them all! This one was the last time we would be able to see them. It was the third time for me. Main floor, row 9.



Great show. Thought I was getting to the end of my concert career but bought another pair this morning to see another all-time favorite this fall. Iron Maiden. The stereo in my vehicle is normally turned up so I can share with everyone around me! Love my music!

 

[genesis273]

Now that my wife and I now are enjoying an empty nest, we've started traveling alot over the last few years. With us both getting 5+ weeks a year for vacation, we can go to a few places during non hunting months.

Running is another hobby of mine. I log a decent amount of miles every week. Sometimes traveling out of state to do a marathon. I'm not the fastest runner out there, but not bad for 51. I placed 3rd in my age group in a marathon the other week, which was pretty nice. I love doing races in beautiful places or historical/scenic cities.

Dave N, huge Iron Maiden fan here too. Hate to know how many times I've seen them since the early '80's! Heck, three times in one week in, I think, '87! One of my favorite live bands, although I haven't been in a few years.

 

[Dave N]

You've got me beat! Will only be my 3rd time. Took our youngest daughter (the hunter) years ago and she returned the favor last year for Father's Day. Was in the pit and just about laid out a guy being obnoxious and getting way too feisty around her! They changed up the set list this tour with songs they haven't played for a long time. Too hard to pass up!

 

[JCS]

I polish rocks. Here is a couple of montana agates.

 

[redhub1]

I love playing guitar and luckily I have a wife who encourages me to play everyday. Recently I got into reloading and also built my first AR15. I am a big hockey fan (let's go Red Wings), love to watch MotoGP and I'm a huge movie fan.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

fishing (open water and ice), hiking with my dogs, camping, floating rivers, canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, reading, used to snowboard and still do occasionally. basically whatever gets me outside

 

[Bluejeep]

Fishing, hiking, camping, driving back roads, and cooking.

What good is harvesting all that tasty meat just to ruin it as soon as it hits the pan?

 

[idnative1948]

I need to start selling of some of my crap I have gathered from past hobbies- Tools up the wazoo from the days of re-building British sports cars and restoring Honda mini bikes, building and repairing golf clubs, furniture building/woodworking. I did sell all of my b/w photography darkroom equipment. Now down to tying a few flies and doing some watercolor.
Life and grandkids kind of took over the last 10-12 years. Our summer days are spent at our little shack in OR attempting to get an aspen grove growing, cleaning up old barb wire from the old days and trash left by some of the demon spawn who camp/hunt in the mountains. It is our way of recharging from life in the city as there is no cell service, electricity, nothing, nada.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

I love fishing and trapping but i class them as similar to hunting personally.

For me it's working on my veggie garden, animal husbandry, photography, cooking, guitar and writing.

Don't do a lot of any other than cooking and looking after the chooks and turkeys these days with my young fella taking up most of my time. Worth it though.

 

[Europe]

What wonderful posts. It is amazing the talent and diversity of the individuals on the forum. The diversity also brought a smile to my face, the varied topics as well as the pleasure of speaking off the open forum with some of you, thank you for taking the time to do that. From mule deer with Brittany, bad movies with noharleyyet, and Shanon Tweed with Dave. ( think Gene Simmons ), definitely a variety of different subjects LOL

During these conversations the same question kept coming up. What man made wonders are the best and I always say that it is in the eyes of the beholder. Plus sometimes the trip to and/or from figures into how you receive a particular place. As an example the plane and boat trip was terrible, as was the accommodations, so when we got there I said " we did all this to see these stupid stone men ?" Easter Island. But to his credit he made up for it with the next stop on the trip--Ecuador--The Galapagos---loved those turtles.

I might also say I have never seen a man made anything as beautiful as the Grand Canyon, The Mackenzie river basin and mountains from Yellowknife to the Beauforte sea, Victoria Falls, Alps, Amazon, The Barrier Reef-however as requested.

My personal favorites are --China Wall, Pyramids, Christ Statue in Rio, Macho Piccho ( and in no particular order ), but again some of these are due to a bigger picture. The boat trip down the Nile, getting to Macho Piccho, Copa Cabana Beach in Rio---others might like the Coliseum, Mt Rushmore, the ceiling in the Chapel in the Vatican --etc etc etc

I truly believe my problem is you can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl. Dont put me in an assisted care facility, stick me in a room overlooking a working farm--please!

idnative1948, talks about no electricity, etc. when a very young girl my grandparents did not have electricity , or a telephone, and when they got one, we had to listen for two short rings and then a long to see if it was for us---certainly no t.v.--But we talked to each other, ----Grandmother read and we discussed the bible, I remember being poor, but I never remember not being loved

O..k enough of my rambling ----but I do want to thank each one of you for your contribution to this thread

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Right back at Ya' Europe,we had a phone with a party line also.
No special ring though,so you never knew who was on the other end.
For fun Mom and Dad sent us out into the "Dirt Hills"(Az. Desert)
We would also line Toads across the main road to watch them get squashed.
Hope P>I>T>A is monotoring this forum!

 

[cgarner]

Worked on my hobby this weekend.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Cgarner you just be my next best friend.Too bad you live in Ca.