Late Autumn Wander With a Fiddleback & a Gossman

[Mistwalker]

Since I the autumn harvest is winding it's way down I thought I'd take advantage of what is left while I finished running the camera down after work today.



The area on the ride in. The day started out cloudy and got grayer from there.

A blackhawk flew over the area

I had two knives made by forum members on the hike with me. One was a Fiddleback Forge Hunter that I picked up last winter, sporting a custom leather and buck skin sheath made by Craig Anthony.

The other was a cord-wrapped PSK Senior made by Scott Gossman that I recently picked up second hand.

The area is taking on it's winter look

There wasn't much passion fruit left on the vines, but there was some.

Most of it was on the ground, and most of that was well on it's way to going to seed.

What I was really interested in were the persimmons, now that we have had a few good frosts. In this state they sort of look overly ripe and like something you might not want to eat...but this is my favorite time to eat them. Out of the two dozen or so I ate only one was still tannic. The rest were nice and sweet

I've been wanting a few persimmon trees of my own for a long time, but since I'm not finding groves of persimmon trees together, and haven't found any small ones to dig up, I'm thinking persimmon pits must be like cherry pits and work better once passed through a digestive system. With the coyote population we have here finding pits in this condition is really not an obstacle, and I have the makings of a new experiment for the little one and myself..

While I was enjoying my harvest of persimmons, the birds around me were enjoying their harvest of insect larvae in the galls on the horseweed and brier vines.

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[Mistwalker]

The prairie grass we have here isn't as tall as the stuff Rick and Ken have up in Canada, but it's still a cool resource. It's good for tinder material obviously, and makes great improvised cutting boards in a pinch. Enough of it will also make a decent mat for sleeping on, it is hollow so has some give to it and provides insulation from the cold ground.

I found and dug up a few onions. Onions are good for you.

I know if Rick sees this he'll fuss at me saying I should make a digging stick, and if I were digging up a supply of them I would. But I only dug up the one clump, and the edge of the knife suffered no noticeable damage.

The gray sky as the rain started trying to move in

Most of the thistle seeds have blown away.

A lone black vulture roaming the sky

There is no shade “under the canopy” now...since there is no canopy. But it makes finding walnuts easier. The hunter is heavy and dense enough that cracking black walnuts is not a problem, and it's pointy enough to make eating them without shattering them into a hundred pieces pretty easy.

Plenty of pitch wood to be found, but there may be some competition for it...

If you've ever heard an older person use the phrase “rich as a pine knot”, this is what they were referring to. Very resin-rich, and great tinder material.

Of course, I had to do a little whittling with the hunter too.

I didn't stop to start a fire today, wasn't really cold enough and I was wearing short sleeves. But it's not like I haven't started fires with the Hunter before, and I'm sure the PSK Sr. will get it's opportunities soon enough

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[mtnfolk mike]

great stuff as usual Brian.. i love that Fiddleback..

 

[Mistwalker]

great stuff as usual Brian.. i love that Fiddleback..

Thanks Mike, glad you enjoyed it, and yeah, me too

 

[Fiddleback]

Love seeing your threads pop up Mist. That knife has really 'grown' a personality, you might say huh?

 

[Blaid]

Hey, I recognize that area....HEAVEN!

 

[mqqn]

Awesome post - thanks for the pictures and commentary.

I like the taste of persimmons - interesting your info about getting them after a frost.

I have never had passion fruit - it does not look very appetizing, but if you were hungry enough it is nice to know what is edible.

Thanks again for your pictures and story!

best

mqqn

 

[Mistwalker]

Love seeing your threads pop up Mist. That knife has really 'grown' a personality, you might say huh?

Thanks Andy. I think all of your knives have a personality, it just develops over time

Hey, I recognize that area....HEAVEN!

Not quite heaven...but close

Awesome post - thanks for the pictures and commentary.

I like the taste of persimmons - interesting your info about getting them after a frost.

I have never had passion fruit - it does not look very appetizing, but if you were hungry enough it is nice to know what is edible.

Thanks again for your pictures and story!

best

mqqn

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed the post. I've seen the Japanese persimmons in some stores. They're bigger and sold when still bright orange. I need to try them and see if they are less tannic in the orange state than wild American persimmons. Maybe they are naturally less tannic or maybe it is something done in the cultivation over the years.

The passion fruit looks a little more appetizing earlier in the year. These are among the very last that don't look like big green raisins. These shots are from earlier in the year.

 

[schmittie]

Thank you for the pics. You always seem to make me hungry......

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Another GREAT post my Brother

 

[geargeek]

Cool thread as always, thanks!

 

[TPVT]

another good read mist. and great pics, as usual.

 

[dartheo]

nice find.. wouldnt think to look in a small piece like that

 

[Dr. 904]

Thanks again for regaling us another fine post. Always enjoy it and can't wait for the next one!

 

[TheGame]

Great thread as always, Mist. It looks exactly like it does here down there. I would've thought you'd have more leaves still on the trees than we do, but we're pretty close.

Although you do have a lot more fatwood down there. Can't find it around me, really. All kinds of pine, just none of them dead.

 

[pitdog]

I'd missed this thread somehow ! Great stuff as always buddy, it still looks like your weather is a little drier than over here right now.

 

[maw]

Hi Brian,

Thank you for another wonderful thread. I know it takes time to not only go out and have the fun but more so to load the photos and write the commentary. Your efforts always receive my full appreciation! :thumbup:

Mark

 

[matgarsmi]

Fantastic thread. It makes me lament my laziness for not getting out in the woods as much as I should. As soon as school is done in 2 days, that's exactly what I intend to do.

 

[ridnovir]

grate write up thanks for sharing

 

[Mistwalker]

Thank you for the pics. You always seem to make me hungry......

Glad you liked them man, yeah...I like food

Another GREAT post my Brother

Thanks bro, glad you enjoyed it

Cool thread as always, thanks!

Thank you, glad you liked it!

another good read mist. and great pics, as usual.

Thanks man, glad you liked the post.

nice find.. wouldnt think to look in a small piece like that

Some of the limb bases are extremely resin rich. Also extremely dense and hard to bust, and can be rough on a knife.

Thanks again for regaling us another fine post. Always enjoy it and can't wait for the next one!

Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoy them!

Great thread as always, Mist. It looks exactly like it does here down there. I would've thought you'd have more leaves still on the trees than we do, but we're pretty close.

Although you do have a lot more fatwood down there. Can't find it around me, really. All kinds of pine, just none of them dead.

Yeah, our woods are definitely taking on the early winter look. Yep lots here, just wait till the pine beetle makes it up that way...

I'd missed this thread somehow ! Great stuff as always buddy, it still looks like your weather is a little drier than over here right now.

Thanks man. Yeah, we've had a drier autumn than usual. But right after I got home it started raining and rained all night and on through the next morning.

Hi Brian,

Thank you for another wonderful thread. I know it takes time to not only go out and have the fun but more so to load the photos and write the commentary. Your efforts always receive my full appreciation! :thumbup:

Mark

Thank you Mark. The photography is a lobor of love anyway, I'm always experimenting, and I try to keep the commentary non-rambling I'm really glad you enjoy them.

Fantastic thread. It makes me lament my laziness for not getting out in the woods as much as I should. As soon as school is done in 2 days, that's exactly what I intend to do.

Thank you, glad you liked it. This is my favorite season for woods wanding, the temps are cooler, the mosquitoes are fewer, and I can see further...and there are still snacks

grate write up thanks for sharing

Thanks man, glad you liked it.