Look out, rant...Damn Game Wardens

Look out, I'm on the warpath again. This time its with morons who hide behind a badge and proclaim to be helping the state wildlife.

This weekend was the start of the Wisconsin Gun Deer season. Saturday started off nicely, until around 8:30am, one could hear a good dozen hound dogs sounding off. Here some stupid a** hunter decided to hunt with hounds, than actually do the work of walking through and finding a nice spot to sit and wait for deer to come to him. "great", I thought as the day was going to turn into a sheer nightmare. Having had problems with trespassers last year, I figured things would really get out of hand. But, surprisingly the day went well with no gun shots.

Sunday, today, my neighbor comes to me saying he just got a huge fine from a Game Warden because he had antlers from a buck he and I found Saturday afternoon, hanging from his deer stand. Apparently he was suppose to tag the antlers, even though he never traditionally killed the buck. WTF? Since when must you tag antlers off a buck that is found dead, even though you never shot it? Does this mean that I, as a land owner, cannot take antlers off a dead buck which I have found because it violates some stupid hidden law that should be made aware to the public through the regulations in the first place? Good grief, where was this knucklehead yesterday when the hounds were running rampant? Probably sipping on some coffee "pretending" to actually work.

What is surprising about all this is that there has never been any DNR official on my land in 21 years and he just now shows up! I don't have a problem with a LE doing his job, but come on, $327 fine for untagged antlers is bogus big time and people wonder why I cannot stand the midwest.

The times are to a point where a mans land means nothing, isn't respected at all and is taken advantage of to fill the states pockets. I do have no trespassing signs out for a reason and I understand DNR officals have the right to come onto the land, but geez, respect the mans land and let him do what he wants on it without fining people. What is the sense of having land if the landowner isn't allowed to collect antlers (by the way, my friend is a true friend who had permission to hunt on my acreage), or do what he wants with it, without having to violate some stupid ass, bogus crapped law that isn't even in the regulations? I am a homesteader. I believe that what is mine is mine and people should leave it the hell alone...game official or not!

Barbed wire fence

Well, the time has come to finally get trespassers off my land. So, my huge project for the next few weeks and all of next year is putting up a 1,300 + feet of barbed wire fence just on the south side of the property. Seeing that I have 40 acres to cover, each side is 1,300 + feet, so this means a huge project for one purpose...keeping the low life's who don't have guts enough to ask for permission to hunt, off the damn land. I rarely get irked, but those who don't belong really irk me to no end. At least have the common decency to ask, but don't tread on where your life is put into my hands because I will not be the one or the type to show mercy. The local sheriffs patrol has 4 files of trespassers on record, so really, its in the books and therefore that is all that is needed really. Since they are 2 hours away, I guess I will serve justice until they arrive.

Anyways, I hope to have the south side done by November 21st since this is the start of the gun deer season. I'll be adding more to this in the coming weeks and definitely take photos once one side is done.

Power : Solar or Wind?

I have often been asked what I want to use for power, solar or wind? Many people want to use solar, to harness the sun and reap all that it has to offer. However, most simple minded folks cannot afford solar panels and for some who are not mechanically inclined, that means paying someone to install and in turn this would mean that your privacy issue would go right out the window since someone outside your family, would know your location. Not a wise move.

My reasoning for not using solar comes down to a few issues. First, what happens if there is no sun? In the winter months of Wisconsin, the sky is dark and dreary. Rarely does the sun shine like it does in the winter. If you rely on solar power to feed your home, you'll be in the dark more than in light. Another issue is that plastering solar panels on your roof cast a shine when the sun and moon hit, giving away your home. The last thing I want is to advertise "here I am, come find me!" Another issue is that solar panels attract burglars because anyone who has panels, has cash and other goodies and so you and your house become a target. Again, not something I want. Then there is the case of what happens if one or more panels break from a storm? The price to repair these panels costs a fortune. Since I am not one to waste my cash, I'll stick to a cheaper method of power...wind.

Wind power is wonderful. If you think back to the 1800's and beyond, you will remember seeing or hearing of old windmills generating water. This same method can energize your home without affecting your location. It is also cheaper to build a windmill than it is to invest in solar panels and one windmill can do multiple things like generate power, and water. These devices also don't make you or your home a target as it mimics a farm and are easily repairable if storm damage occurs. Wind blows all the time in the country. From the lightest of gusts to long, drawn out wind blowing in across the fields. Wind also blows at night, therefore giving you 24/7 power. Connect the wind to a generator and you have the perfect setup for off-grid power. Of course you can also connect a solar panel for your hot water heater, but these types of panels don't draw attention, nor cost a heap of cash. AND windmills can be built by anyone and you don't have to call anyone to do it for you. Of course, digging a well and such is hard work, but that is what a homesteader does...work and a little sweat goes a long way in comfort when a project is done.

So, I hope I have covered all the bases as to why I dislike solar power and why wind power is the way to go.