Funny Looks

[Longstrider]

A post on another thread got me wondering. What are the aspects of your type of bushcrafting that earn you the most funny looks from those who don't understand the appeal of what we do? Is it the fact that you can have a perfectly enjoyable weekend away, "living rough" as they see it without even a tent? (They consider a weekend away to involve at least 4 stars and a pool) Is it that you own, and have even been known to carry, more than one knife? (People who carry knives are all homicidal maniacs) Or is it the sort of food that you are not only willing to eat but actually claim to enjoy? (Especially when you were "camped" within a short drive from the nearest Mc D's)

One of the more memorable moments for me was the day my college digs landlady came home to find me cooking in the kitchen. Without asking WHAT I was cooking she remarked on how good it smelled. I offered her a morsel and she thoroughly enjoyed it and asked for more. After a good measure of the tasty little drumsticks, deep fried in a glaze of herbs, mild spices and mixed egg and honey, she asked what it was. The look on her face when I said "Squirrel legs!" was absolutely priceless!

 

[RovingArcher]

I'm dressed in full woodland camo, courtesy of the US army, some camo makeup and a pair of gloves. Arrow nocked and I'm hunkered down between two deadfalls, waiting for a love sick Tom Turkey to stroll into arrow range. I'm thinking that the hunt is mostly over with no luck and I hear a commotion coming from behind me. I look and here's a girl scout group walking a trail about 50 yards or so away and they spot the two downed trees and decide to have a rest and take a seat. Here I am, looking a bit like Rambo, well hidden and surrounded by girl scouts and two of their leaders, who are all within 5 paces of me and the two leaders were actually sitting right next to me. Twenty minutes later I'm getting a cramp so I say, "excuse me, but I have to stand up". Their response was classic

 

[Greywolf]

"excuse me, but I have to stand up". Their response was classic

You need to buy me a new keyboard! This one is full of coffee, and its dripping off my screen too

I get funny looks when Im brewing up, I use an old tincan hobostove with a tincan billy. I think its mainly the hat that gets the looks tho, not many folks wear a real hat these days, baseball caps are worn daily, but they look at me as if I have a live chicken on my head. It is an Ausy bushhat, they get to see similar on 'I used to be a celebrity, get me my agent'.

Folk are funny

Greywolf

 

[khimbar]

I'm dressed in full woodland camo, courtesy of the US army, some camo makeup and a pair of gloves. Arrow nocked and I'm hunkered down between two deadfalls, waiting for a love sick Tom Turkey to stroll into arrow range. I'm thinking that the hunt is mostly over with no luck and I hear a commotion coming from behind me. I look and here's a girl scout group walking a trail about 50 yards or so away and they spot the two downed trees and decide to have a rest and take a seat. Here I am, looking a bit like Rambo, well hidden and surrounded by girl scouts and two of their leaders, who are all within 5 paces of me and the two leaders were actually sitting right next to me. Twenty minutes later I'm getting a cramp so I say, "excuse me, but I have to stand up". Their response was classic

roflmao. great start to a Monday at work!

 

[Abbe Osram]

I get funny looks if I dont do what the people up here are doing, simple as that.
It started that I use snowshoes as none is doing it up here, everyone is using skies up here. I was on the go to buy a remington pump action shotgun but I gave up on it they would tease me to death if I come to the shoting range. I bought than a side by side merkel shot gun for half of the price, why? Because the guy could not sell a side by side here in town, they are too old fashioned looking he said and none is buying the shotgun. Well, I bought it cheap.

Surley I will stirr some talks with it but not as much as I would with a pump action, they would call me Rambo here and shake their head.

I am a bit afraid to start making my own cloth, if I run around with them in the woods I will surly get a new name in town, Billy the kid or David Crockett!

Cheers
Abbe

 

[rich59]

I like to attempt to get a fire going in different situations using only what I find. Hence my interest in hand drilling as you need only a drill and a board and some sharp edge to shape a notch.

On one occasion I had been on a training course in Oxford and as a late afternoon recreation I wandered down to the local meadow near one of the rivers. I try to not be observed too much so went to some back corner, under a shady tree and found some bits of willow to play with. I had got a tinder together along with a passable drill and hearth and was happily working away getting smoke but no fire (don't try willow as a drill!) when a local lady came by and mistaking me for some loving couple under the tree came out with "What do you think you are doing?"! Well she probably did need glasses. Once explanations were given she got quite interested - never having seen someone try to light a fire like that.

 

[AlexRowan]

mine is probably the most common. The one where people give you a funny look cos you "like trees" and find wildlife interesting. They aren't sceptical or nasty with it, they kind of think "well isn't that quaint" in a really patronising way.

But then I ride a motrbike as well so I also get treated as a weirdo because of that!! hahah.. bless them...

 

[ilovemybed]

Stumbling into the house tired and minding my own business after a week away on the Woodlore Primitive skills course, I accidentally walked in on my flatmate having his wicked way with a young lady on the kitchen counter, and still it was me that got the funny looks! ( I couldnt decide between this smiley :Wow: or this one... )

I know I smelt of fire, and hadn't shaved but it was Sunday afternoon for goodness sake. I had to make my tea!

 

[wolf]

I'm dressed in full woodland camo, courtesy of the US army, some camo makeup and a pair of gloves. Arrow nocked and I'm hunkered down between two deadfalls, waiting for a love sick Tom Turkey to stroll into arrow range. I'm thinking that the hunt is mostly over with no luck and I hear a commotion coming from behind me. I look and here's a girl scout group walking a trail about 50 yards or so away and they spot the two downed trees and decide to have a rest and take a seat. Here I am, looking a bit like Rambo, well hidden and surrounded by girl scouts and two of their leaders, who are all within 5 paces of me and the two leaders were actually sitting right next to me. Twenty minutes later I'm getting a cramp so I say, "excuse me, but I have to stand up". Their response was classic

full cammo in the woods here in england is enough to raise eyebrows.

 

[wolf]

I get funny looks if I dont do what the people up here are doing, simple as that.
It started that I use snowshoes as none is doing it up here, everyone is using skies up here. I was on the go to buy a remington pump action shotgun but I gave up on it they would tease me to death if I come to the shoting range. I bought than a side by side merkel shot gun for half of the price, why? Because the guy could not sell a side by side here in town, they are too old fashioned looking he said and none is buying the shotgun. Well, I bought it cheap.

Surley I will stirr some talks with it but not as much as I would with a pump action, they would call me Rambo here and shake their head.

I am a bit afraid to start making my own cloth, if I run around with them in the woods I will surly get a new name in town, Billy the kid or David Crockett!

Cheers
Abbe

:BlueTeamE :BlueTeamE :BlueTeamE :AR15firin :AR15firin :AR15firin :AR15firin
i think you killed it abbe.

 

[RovingArcher]

I get funny looks if I dont do what the people up here are doing, simple as that.
It started that I use snowshoes as none is doing it up here, everyone is using skies up here. I was on the go to buy a remington pump action shotgun but I gave up on it they would tease me to death if I come to the shoting range. I bought than a side by side merkel shot gun for half of the price, why? Because the guy could not sell a side by side here in town, they are too old fashioned looking he said and none is buying the shotgun. Well, I bought it cheap.

Surley I will stirr some talks with it but not as much as I would with a pump action, they would call me Rambo here and shake their head.

I am a bit afraid to start making my own cloth, if I run around with them in the woods I will surly get a new name in town, Billy the kid or David Crockett!

Cheers
Abbe

I'd love to own a nice side-by-side 12ga. My Remington 870 express 12ga. with 28" barrel and improved cylinder-modified-full screw in choke system is an awesome field gun.

 

[PhilParry]

Twenty minutes later I'm getting a cramp so I say, "excuse me, but I have to stand up". Their response was classic

Deary me...that's going to make me smile for the rest of the day!!

Weird from the Mrs is me spending half a day in the garage/outside carving a spoon or something else.

People just can't seem to do without the gogglebox or constant music (read noise, mostly!) these days.

Give me the peace and quiet in the woods any day of the year over the centre of a city or town.

Who is weird? Us or the artificial life around us? :borgsmile

I for one love the fact that we can all live and prosper in our natural environment.

((Group Hug))

 

[Abbe Osram]

I'd love to own a nice side-by-side 12ga. My Remington 870 express 12ga. with 28" barrel and improved cylinder-modified-full screw in choke system is an awesome field gun.

I am sure mate, I would love to have your weapon but boy this guys made me feel bad when I was in the shop asking for that weapon and if he can order it for me.
He started: "Why do you want such a thing?" The sound of it was that of "do you want to play terminator in the woods, child"? Real wirred I felt like a 12 years old within seconds. He was telling me about his years as a hunter, how much he got and I felt even worse, as I am a greenhorn up here. Well, in the end I got from him a Merkel side by side the price was marked out as 9500 SEK and I got it for 4500 SEK as the thing was for left shoulder type of shooters like me, I took the chance and bought it. Everyone says its a great weapon for a wonderfull price so I have to believe them, but still I suffer from the slide feeling of being a little child who wanted a real shotgun and got a softairgun to christmas.

Talking about having funny looks, I get them when I look in the mirror.

LOL
cheers
Abbe

 

[directdrive]

Hi, Abbe: What's the deal with the shotguns? If they don't use pumps or side by sides, what do they use in your "neck of the woods"? Bruce

 

[Abbe Osram]

Hi, Abbe: What's the deal with the shotguns? If they don't use pumps or side by sides, what do they use in your "neck of the woods"? Bruce

They call it "hagel bock" here is a picture of such a rifle.

cheers
Abbe

 

[fa11en ange1]

Over-unders are common over here for target shooting, but afaik the side by side is favoured for most game shoots. I tend to get funny looks when clay pigeoning with my Franchi semi-auto. I'm not sure whether it's down to the fact it's a semi-auto, that it is synthetic black (rather than wood), becuase I don't where the standard issue clothes or a combination of them all.

And yes, part of the reason I got the semi was down to my gadget freak nature and being a big kid.

 

[gregorach]

Slightly OT, but I tend to get funny looks when clay pigeoning with my Franchi semi-auto. I'm not sure whether it's down to the fact it's a semi-auto, that it is synthetic black (rather than wood), becuase I don't where the standard issue clothes or a combination of them all.

And yes, part of the reason I got the semi was down to my gadget freak nature and being a big kid.

Probably most people are looking at you and thinking "is that thing legal?".

 

[Buckshot]

Over-unders are common over here for target shooting, but afaik the side by side is favoured for most game shoots. I tend to get funny looks when clay pigeoning with my Franchi semi-auto. I'm not sure whether it's down to the fact it's a semi-auto, that it is synthetic black (rather than wood), becuase I don't where the standard issue clothes or a combination of them all.

And yes, part of the reason I got the semi was down to my gadget freak nature and being a big kid.

I shoot pheasants with my Berreta A391 semi - now there's a funny look
I've thought about changing to an O/U but I like it and, well, stuff what they think !!!
Roving Archer - I used to have a Mossi 870 as well, before the restrictions is this country. Nice gun

Mark

 

[Goose]

Not an expert on shotguns but I have used semi auto and thought it was a lot easier on the shoulder, a push rather than a kick could have shot all day with it!

 

[Doc]

The lower recoil is a definite plus for the semi auto. Being boring, I have an O/U (allegedly more accurate than a side by side). However, I once borrowed a very, very expensive side by side (by Holland and Holland) and shot really well with it.
The Merkels are very highly regarded. I believe East Germany was desperate for hard cash, so they sold at a fraction of their real value.

Winchester make a little lever action .410 shotgun. Now, that would get some funny looks over here. Must admit, I'd like one.