For those big Ax Men fans who really look forward to Sunday evenings, another Ax Men season has come and gone. Sunday evening, April 18, the season’s final episode aired on the History channel at 10:00 p.m. eastern time. For those of you that didn’t see the show, Rygaard won over Jay Browning by only three loads as both companies pulled out all the stops trying for the top spot. Gabe Rygaard even tried the risky stunt of logging all night long using portable mast lighting but around 2:30a.m., the fog rolled in making it even more dangerous to continue. 
In Louisiana, Shelby ruptures his hernia and just about kills himself getting a 5 foot wide 30 foot log out of the swamp mud. At Conner Aviation, a lightning storm almost brings the chopper and pilot down and in Florida, Joe Collins finally has to fire Jimmy, but makes his son, James, an offer he can’t refuse. This season was even more exciting than we expected…….so can season four be even better??? Visit the History Channel to find out all about the Ax Men series.
Another Ax Men Season Comes to an End :(
April 19th, 2010First Day of Pennsylvania Fishing Season is Here
April 16th, 2010
For most of the state except for some of the southeast counties, Saturday, April 17th is the first day of the PA fishing season. A cold front is moving in just in time for opening day with rain forecast for most of the state. Some snow is also expected in the higher elevations and in the northern states. Sounds like a typical first day of fishing season huh? Yet a few weeks ago it was in the 80’s. I haven’t done a lot of fishing in recent years but I seem to remember many first days in the past being associated with some pretty lousy weather. Here’s a link to some great information about the 2010 fishing season. No matter what the weather, there will be a lot of dedicated anglers out there. 
Fantastic Waterhook Ranch Gets a Facelift
February 27th, 2010
93 acres of pastures, pines, cherry and maple trees make up the Waterhook Ranch in Crosby, Pennsylvania. Don’t forget about the spacious home with timber frame rooms, large barn, and friendly horses. Loggersite began timber harvesting on the Waterhook Ranch about a month ago to thin out pine stands and make room for cherry and other hardwood trees to grow. 
A blowdown section will be cleared in the next few months to improve the appearance of the sprawling ranch. Near the end of a paved township road, the ranch is perfectly located at the high end of the valley with wooded mountains on both sides. If you watch closely, you might see a few cars go by in the course of an hour. It’s a very private setting to say the least. If you want to buy the ranch with horses, it might even be for sale……if the price is right!
Should I buy a USED Chainsaw?
February 21st, 2010
The answer is “it depends on the saw and who you are buying it from”. Many chainsaw dealers will sell used chainsaws. Customers come into the store to buy a new saw and often they have an old saw to trade in. The dealer buys the old saw from them and resells it to other customers. Usually the dealer will check the used saw for any problems and correct them before selling but you can not depend on that, especially if you do not know the dealer. If you buy a saw from an auction site such as Ebay, you have reasonable assurance that the saw is as described, especially if the seller has a good feedback record from other Ebay users. Buying a used chainsaw from an ad in the paper or on the internet is the riskiest way to purchase. You can still, however, find some good deals this way but you must take extra precautions to ensure the saw is worth buying and will last you for a while. If buying from an auction site, ask questions about the saw based on the information below.
When you do set your sights on a particular used saw, here are some things to check before you buy. Look at the obvious cosmetic condition of the saw. Is the plastic faded or worse yet cracked? Are parts missing, covers missing, is the handle bent? These could all be indicators of a saw that was used hard or even abused. Chainsaws almost always look better in a picture than they do in real life. Ask the seller if they bought the saw new and/or what the saw was used for. Larger saws may have been owned by a logging company, which can be better or worse, depending on who owned it and if they take care of their equipment. If the saw is a dirty mess, it means that the seller didn’t even take the time to clean it up before selling. It also could mean they have never done anything to properly care for the saw. Saws that are consistently thrown or dropped may have cracked covers or bent handles.
Make sure the saw has gas in it and look especially close at the gas tank to see of it leaks. Look around the seam that runs up the middle of the tank to see if there is any moisture around the seam that could indicate a leak. New gas tanks are expensive and just as expensive to install. 
Check the compression on the saw engine by removing the spark plug and screwing a compression tester into the spark plug hole. If you don’t have a compression tester, borrow one or ask the dealer to use his if you are buying one from a dealer. This step is a very good indicator of the condition of the engine. Screw the tester in tight and make sure the saw’s compression release button is out and not pushed in. Pull the starter cord several times until the reading on the compression gauge stops increasing. The reading should be between 120-160 pounds with higher being better. If you absolutely can not find a compression tester, grab the saw by the starter cord and pick it up. If you can lift it off the floor and the cord comes out slowly, the compression is probably ok. click HERE to finish reading this article
Is Coyote Hunting becoming more popular than deer hunting?
February 14th, 2010These days, it might be easier to bring home a coyote than a deer. Back in the late 70’s when I was just going out for my first hunting experiences, I remember looking at the seasons for each type of game and the bag limits. I don’t remember ever seeing anything about COYOTES mentioned through those years…..but now, more and more people are talking about hunting these animals. I drove past a “coyote hunt” sign yesterday and it made me think of what it would be like to bag one.
Coyotes have not always been as prevalent in Pennsylvania as they are now. There are several theories about why and how these animals became so much more populated in Pennsylvania. But they are here to stay and if you are listening outside at night, you have a pretty good chance of hearing one. They might sound something like THIS.
You can post your coyote hunting experiences here on loggersite. How and when do you hunt them. Is it better to go out on your own or join a group hunt. Email any pictures or videos you have to webmaster@loggersite.com and we’ll get them on the site right under this article. If you know of some links related to coyotes and hunting them, type the link in your post for others to see. The ones in the picture below look kind of cute…….almost cute enough to pet…..except that those front teeth look like they could tear a nice chunk out of my hand!
Are you showering with remains from animal shelters?
February 10th, 2010It could be true! Many animal shelters across the nation must euthanize animals they can not find a home for. Usually, the animal is brought into the shelter and kept there for a period of time while a prospective owner comes forward. If no new owner is found after this period of time expires, the animal is euthanized and that makes room for more animals to be brought in. Many of the shelters can not handle the disposal of the animals after they are put to sleep so they contract this work to companies that specialize in destroying the dead animals.
Would you think that the animals are cremated or taken to the landfill? So0me companies are turning these former pets and strays into common household products, including bath soap. Once the remains are brought back to the facility, they are boiled, ground, and processed into animal by-products for lubricants, polish, soaps, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, gelatin, and fertilizers. These products can be distributed over the entire nation. The next time you take a shower, there might be someone from the local pound in there with you. If you can find a home for that stray or your pet that you can no longer care for, it may be better than dropping them off at the animal shelter. 
WAS “BIGFOOT” HERE? IF NOT, WHAT MONSTER MADE THESE TRACKS?
February 4th, 2010For those of you who have heard about the controversial existence of the creature named “bigfoot“, we have just received some really interesting photos from one of the loggersite readers. The following article was written by that same reader. Loggersite has changed the format of the article just a little, but the content is just as it was written by our reader. This“bigfoot” link will give you some more details about the creature if you are unfamiliar with it. The blurry picture on that page has been around for a long time and I can remember seeing it as a kid. I can also remember it being one of the most disturbing photos I had ever seen. Do you believe in “bigfoot“? How about “bigfoot” in Pennsylvania? Keep reading………….
Loggersite, the sighting near Allemansville was just past the Wopsonnic Boyscout camp access road heading toward route 453, right were the guard rail ends. I live between Viola and Janesville. The attachments are of photos of tracks found outside of Clearfield past the airport. They were taken in 1985 by me personally as you can see with the aid of the standard rule they were quite large approx. 16″ long and 9″ inches across the toe area with a stride of about 72″. If you look closely you can see the imprint of the toe nail/claw.
This was in an area not being used or traveled by anyone as it was during the development of a mining permit in the area. I was able to back track the prints a short distance into the heavy brush that was trampled down and could plainly see mud from the foot prints on top of the weeds and brush.
I am not trying to change the subject with the introduction of these photos just merely trying to make a point that there are beings out there we have yet to encounter. Believing in a Cougar or Mountain Lion is a lot easier than believing in something like what I am showing you here.
Incidentally, about two months after these photos were taken similar prints were found in the snow in Maryland and were broadcast on TV; all measured the same. Again, the stride of these prints were approx. 72″
I think it is good for people to see what other have seen. As for the photos of the foot prints, they were as real as could be. I ran my hand over the track and felt the contour of the bottom of the foot. The ground on which they were made was not that soft as it had a firm base which made it more difficult to produce a print like these. Prior to this experience I too had serious doubts about rare and exotic creatures roaming the wilds. But when you give this subject serious thought and especially if you are a hunter or a person with knowledge of the woods you will then realize that there is a lot of territory out there in which these creatures can hide. The greatest fallacy of the human race is that we tend to believe that we know everything and everything must meet our beliefs in order to exist. We are not alone in this world!
HUMANE SOCIETY HELPS STOP CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
January 31st, 2010
Last night while watching TV, I saw a commercial that really got my attention. It was one of those commercials that you think about for a while after it’s over. There is a link to the commercial at the end of this post. The Humane Society works every year to help stop cruelty to animals. One of the many accomplishments of the Humane Society during 2009 was assisting with the breakup of a puppy mill located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Over 300 dogs were rescued from that particular puppy mill and the news made front page of the Humane Society website. They ask for a donation of $19.00 a month to join their organization, which might be a little on the high side for some people. If you can do it, it looks like the money is being well spent. It is estimated that 63% of American homes have a pet of some type, with many having more than one. If you can’t donate money to the Humane Society, maybe you can adopt a pet to provide a better home. If not, maybe reading this will at least make you aware of the cruelty to animals that exists and even help make you a better caregiver for your pet. Many times abuse or neglect occurs but not to the extreme levels seen in the video. If you see or know of abuse, report it. Post a comment to this article about your adoption experience with a pet or the pet of someone you know. Email loggersite with a picture or video of a pet and we will post it in this article. Our email address is webmaster@loggersite.com.
Are There Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania?
January 26th, 2010Reported sightings of mountain lions are on the rise in Pennsylvania and once in a while a picture of a mountain lion road kill will surface, claiming it was taken in PA. According to Penn Live, Patriot News reported the last known Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in 1874. If a mountain lion was seen in Pennsylvania, chances are it was brought into the state from somewhere else and released.
Can mountain lions live in Pennsylvania? Do we have any conclusive evidence to support the fact that these cats do live in Pennsylvania? The state actually has a very good terrain and habitat for the survival of these cats. The large deer population is also a positive factor which could contribute to the survival of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. 
The picture on the bottom was emailed to Loggersite on January 28, 2010, from one of our readers. The reader said this picture was taken in Rew, Pennsylvania. It shows what appears to be a mountain lion dragging a large deer. 
Here are 3 more pictures loggersite received on Saturday, February 6 from two different readers. The readers might comment about the pictures so I won’t say anything else about them.
Giant Western Red Cedars
May 29th, 2010Recently, a friend of loggersite.com took a trip to Idaho to enjoy some of the best hunting and fishing available anywhere. Idaho is famous for its fishing, as it is home to more than 10 world class wild trout streams. It is also a great place for salmon and steelhead. Idaho has some of the best hunting in the west including mule and whitetail deer, elk, bear, antelope, mountain lions, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. So when our friend began his 2400 mile 39 hour drive (he had some help) from Warren, Pennsylvania, to his hunting and fishing destination in Idaho, he didn’t realize he was going to see a lot more than fish and wildlife.
This giant Western Red Cedar he stumbled across is estimated to be between 600-900 years old and measures about 10 feet in diameter at the stump. Imagine walking up to this tree with your chainsaw and 20″ bar!! If this tree is not big enough for you, the one below might be……….it is a giant Western Red Cedar located about 10 miles from the Elk River in Idaho. It is estimated to be 177 feet tall, 18 feet in diameter, and 3000 years old. Click HERE to see it……….
Tags: Chainsaws, fishing, forests, Hunting, Logging, outdoors, trees
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