Mo Smith

As a professional tape (ab)user for more than 4 decades I'd recommend the Stanley Fax Max tapes. They frequently come on sale and can be had for around $10 for a 25'. Hooks top and bottom, long reach, durable blade, positive lock, clear markings, consistent calibration which means 94-3/4" on my tape reads the same on yours. I've never used anything better.

Welcome to WA. I've got property over there but live on the WetSide of the state. I haven't figured out how to get there full time yet. I'm working on it though.

Howdy Ken,
Nice area there. Some friends of ours have a place close to town.

Okanogan county is pretty easy to work with in my experience, more flexible than a lot of counties in WA. I'd recommend just telling them what you'd like to do and they'll provide the hoops needed to jump through and the list of ransoms you'll need to pay. It'll go pretty smooth after that. There will be a few limitations that may or may not be congruent with your plans but generally a workable solution can be found to keep you on the up and up. Plenty of non-compliance in the area too. There's generally enough elbow room that it's tolerated as long as your neighbors aren't the complaining type.

"Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler fork may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel. By virtue of this curious loophole in the rules, any clodhopper may say: let there be a tree-and there will be one."

-Aldo Leopold

How is he eating?

Beautiful Deer. Pretty fancy hunting digs, is that private property?

I was hoping to take a cull deer this year and let this one daddy a bunch of does for the next couple of years.



Unfortunately, life happens and I didn't set foot in the woods during deer season. No venison this year.

Here in Washington it was an off year. LOTS of females and just a bit too small males. Last year was awesome!

I fish the sound in my canoe. Winter fishing is challenging. Getting weather good enough to fetch the pots is difficult so I usually pass and enjoy the summer crab I put in the freezer. Fine eating for sure. Some fresh greens, wine, fresh caught crab... a sunny day, dining on the deck... It don't get much better.

Unless I have a whole bunch to do I just score the two side beads with a hack or sawzall and break it like a shim.  No need to saw through the whole bar.

I'm pondering a greenhouse.

We have Columbia Ground Squirrels that tunnel EVERYWHERE.  I've even had them partially fill a hole I had dug for a footing...  They're only active for a few months but those are the growing months.  May set up some hawking perches to see if that will reduce the numbers. 

Deer seem to eat anything they can reach.  The Bears are attracted to anything remotely edible.  I haven't had much of an issue but a neighbor and my Sister's places have both been looted.  A couple of Bear tags solved those problems at least temporarily.  We also have free range cattle about.  They a mighty destructive when they come through.  No bird issues yet.  Turkeys come around but haven't noticed any harm done by them.  Our cat Finneas eats about 3 a month on our place.



He'll take a deer or two a year too.  Biggest Bobcat I've ever seen.  Seems comfortable around the cabin until I go outside.  The previous owners lost a Colt to a cat.  We appear to have a lot on the menu for them on our place.

The Moose mainly work on the Red Birch on our place.  Love those critters.


This year the Bear was mainly interested in the grubs in rotting stumps on my place.

Howdy,  I'd be very interested in hearing about your gardening success.  We're about the same elevation and I presume similar critter issues - deer, bears, ground squirrels...

How did it go?

Just a bit too far for me.