+20 Guerrilla

[hamstring]

I have only grown in the swamp three times because of all the work and dedication it takes. I tip my hat to the pros like two heads.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

I'll share a tale... A few years ago I was walking down a creek that was about knee deep with water to reach a plot. There was woods surrounding it so traveling by water was the easiest and stealthiest means to reach the plot in the dark. Got to the plot and began to set the fencing up. A storm rolled in so I had to work quickly. Being soaking wet while holding metal fence posts with lightning is quite a rush.

Got all of the work done and as I started to head back to the creek I saw the water flooding up into the woods. Not good. The creek had blown out completely and was now 6 feet deeper than before, making it about 8 feet deep now with a fast current. The only way to get out was to try and jump in and swim across to the other side where there was a clearing. I hopped in and began kicking and doing breast strokes and immediately was swept down stream. Heart pounding, when I tried to grab onto a tree limb it would break every time while I was swept even further down with current. Eventually I grabbed one that didn't snap and abruptly pulled myself out onto the bank.

I made my way back to where I had left my mountain bike in the creek bed knowing that it had probably been swept away. Once I got there I dove down into the water using tree roots to climb down and held onto them while being blasted by the current, all while trying to feel for the bike. To my surprise, I felt a handlebar and was able to drag myself and the bike back out. Again, using those tree roots along the walls of the creek. Made it home safely sopping wet to take a hot shower. Guerrilla life.

 

[rod58]

good story JST , something to tell your grandkids later on ..
good thing ya never got et by a crocodile !

 

[hamstring]

I'll share a tale... A few years ago I was walking down a creek that was about knee deep with water to reach a plot. There was woods surrounding it so traveling by water was the easiest and stealthiest means to reach the plot in the dark. Got to the plot and began to set the fencing up. A storm rolled in so I had to work quickly. Being soaking wet while holding metal fence posts with lightning is quite a rush.

Got all of the work done and as I started to head back to the creek I saw the water flooding up into the woods. Not good. The creek had blown out completely and was now 6 feet deeper than before, making it about 8 feet deep now with a fast current. The only way to get out was to try and jump in and swim across to the other side where there was a clearing. I hopped in and began kicking and doing breast strokes and immediately was swept down stream. Heart pounding, when I tried to grab onto a tree limb it would break every time while I was swept even further down with current. Eventually I grabbed one that didn't snap and abruptly pulled myself out onto the bank.

I made my way back to where I had left my mountain bike in the creek bed knowing that it had probably been swept away. Once I got there I dove down into the water using tree roots to climb down and held onto them while being blasted by the current, all while trying to feel for the bike. To my surprise, I felt a handlebar and was able to drag myself and the bike back out. Again, using those tree roots along the walls of the creek. Made it home safely sopping wet to take a hot shower. Guerrilla life.

Sweet story JST. Thats some scary shit and you're right ,"Guerrilla Life"

I have seen those small creeks raise pretty quickly too. Did that change your approach to your plot ?

 

[hamstring]

great stories boys ,..i've been growing outdoors now for 44 years and still love it .. on and off i've tried indoor but it's just not for me . paranoia , maybe a bit . or maybe it's the sheer bulk that i can do outside compared to inside , haha on a good year !
i don't think i've ever missed a year , sure i've had some very poor ones and then there's the absolute ripper years where being a single operator i can't tell or show a soul .
those very early mornings , a slight dew and the grass is wet , i'm wet but i'm very cautious on my approach to my patch and i don't care about the time , only care about my freedom !
i have always grown multiple patches , spreading the risk i guess and being in the driest continent on earth it certainly pays me to . and it makes me a better gardener for sure .
i'm nearly 63 and i do now question why i'm still doing this .
will i give it up ? no , somehow i doubt it . i don't play tennis , nor cricket or football , or any other sport for that matter .
the things i've seen in the gloom of the dawn and some of the things i've done i could never replicate in "real" life .
this pic was of a strain i only knew as "Rock" and it was one of nine patches . haha twas a good year !
View Image

Missed this too, 44 yrs guerrilla growing and haven't missed a year. WOW!! very impressive. In 25 yrs I have only missed one year and thats how I got my handle.

Like you said some years don't turn out too good. You have to become a jack of all trades. I made my first hash because of a poor year.

44 years I just cant stop typing it.

 

[Bud Green]

Awesome story brother, it reminds me a lot of my own guerrilla adventures. I've always been an outdoorsman at heart as well, and many of those skills transfered directly over when I began growing in the great outdoors. I must say there are many similarities between deer hunting and guerrilla growing so it's no wonder why the two frequently cross paths. One thing I've come to notice in all of my plots that have been successful is that they are always in close proximity to deer bedding. If the deer feel safe there then so do the plants. Just have to keep the deer out lol.

Growing indoors is a job....

Growing outdoors is an adventure...(and much better exercise)

...

 

[rod58]

Missed this too, 44 yrs guerrilla growing and haven't missed a year. WOW!! very impressive. In 25 yrs I have only missed one year and thats how I got my handle.

Like you said some years don't turn out too good. You have to become a jack of all trades. I made my first hash because of a poor year.

44 years I just cant stop typing it.

hey hamstring , thank you . now i did say " weed is weed " and mostly so !
but over time i've grown some strains that are a pleasure to grow , for one reason or another . like someone else said further back , i'd rather grow a 5ft plant and yield a lb plus rather than a 10-15 footer which outdoors can be a nightmare at times . these ones below only got to 4ft and yielded great buds . only planted late in the season so hardly any watering was necessary .multiple patches of sour bubble x guerrilla glue .

 

[Bud Green]

I'll share a tale... A few years ago I was walking down a creek that was about knee deep with water to reach a plot. There was woods surrounding it so traveling by water was the easiest and stealthiest means to reach the plot in the dark. Got to the plot and began to set the fencing up. A storm rolled in so I had to work quickly. Being soaking wet while holding metal fence posts with lightning is quite a rush.

Got all of the work done and as I started to head back to the creek I saw the water flooding up into the woods. Not good. The creek had blown out completely and was now 6 feet deeper than before, making it about 8 feet deep now with a fast current. The only way to get out was to try and jump in and swim across to the other side where there was a clearing. I hopped in and began kicking and doing breast strokes and immediately was swept down stream. Heart pounding, when I tried to grab onto a tree limb it would break every time while I was swept even further down with current. Eventually I grabbed one that didn't snap and abruptly pulled myself out onto the bank.

I made my way back to where I had left my mountain bike in the creek bed knowing that it had probably been swept away. Once I got there I dove down into the water using tree roots to climb down and held onto them while being blasted by the current, all while trying to feel for the bike. To my surprise, I felt a handlebar and was able to drag myself and the bike back out. Again, using those tree roots along the walls of the creek. Made it home safely sopping wet to take a hot shower. Guerrilla life.

Dang brother! How did I miss this post?

that's some serious gorilla growing there!

..

 

[St. Phatty]

hey hamstring , thank you . now i did say " weed is weed " and mostly so !
but over time i've grown some strains that are a pleasure to grow , for one reason or another . like someone else said further back , i'd rather grow a 5ft plant and yield a lb plus rather than a 10-15 footer which outdoors can be a nightmare at times . these ones below only got to 4ft and yielded great buds . only planted late in the season so hardly any watering was necessary .multiple patches of sour bubble x guerrilla glue .View Image

She's a beauty but if it's a guerrilla operation ... doesn't that mean you don't want to be visible from an aerial view ?

 

[midwestkid]

Last year I had 2 spots going. I had a really nice head start. Big healthy plants. 12 in one spot and about 30 in the second spot.
Then the helicopter....
The paranoia went to work on me.
The plots were on family land and I didn't want anyone getting in trouble. So I killed everything. It was a heartbreaker.
Come to find out, there was a murder investigation going on. And I was near a suspect's house. I think they were looking for a grave or trying to make the suspects nervous...
Well I got nervous instead.
I'm hoping there are no helicopters this year. That was really weird. Asking yourself "surely they're not wasting their fuel on little ol me?"

 

[midwestkid]

I'm also a bow hunter, so your story resonates with me.
I had a guy walk under me once, but he was carrying a bow. "Stalking" because some people think they're fucking ninjas...
Anyways. I was only 14 so I just yelled at him and he turned a 180 and left the way he came.
Nowadays that would have gone differently...
Not because I'm a psychopath or anything, but when you've spent 4 hours in tree and anything walks under you that doesn't belong there it's frustrating on a whole new level.
These days I calmly remove my broad head and place a non lethal shot on said critter. There's very little penetration when you shoot an arrow without a point on it but I'm sure it's unpleasant.
I've seen some strange things come through the woods, but seeing another stealthy human is uniquely weird.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

Sweet story JST. Thats some scary shit and you're right ,"Guerrilla Life"

I have seen those small creeks raise pretty quickly too. Did that change your approach to your plot ?

Sure did, I always check the weather now before heading to the areas with water!

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

I'm also a bow hunter, so your story resonates with me.
I had a guy walk under me once, but he was carrying a bow. "Stalking" because some people think they're fucking ninjas...
Anyways. I was only 14 so I just yelled at him and he turned a 180 and left the way he came.
Nowadays that would have gone differently...
Not because I'm a psychopath or anything, but when you've spent 4 hours in tree and anything walks under you that doesn't belong there it's frustrating on a whole new level.
These days I calmly remove my broad head and place a non lethal shot on said critter. There's very little penetration when you shoot an arrow without a point on it but I'm sure it's unpleasant.
I've seen some strange things come through the woods, but seeing another stealthy human is uniquely weird.

I've always been interested in biology, so I've come to recognize the calls of different birds and what they mean. It's amazing what the woods will tell you about what's going on. Certain warning calls that birds give off are a wonderful cue that someone else may be in the woods with you. Has helped me more than once.

 

[rod58]

She's a beauty but if it's a guerrilla operation ... doesn't that mean you don't want to be visible from an aerial view ?

hey st phatty , out here it's pretty remote and it's almost unheard of having any aerial interference unless they have been tipped off .

 

[hamstring]

hey hamstring , thank you . now i did say " weed is weed " and mostly so !
but over time i've grown some strains that are a pleasure to grow , for one reason or another . like someone else said further back , i'd rather grow a 5ft plant and yield a lb plus rather than a 10-15 footer which outdoors can be a nightmare at times . these ones below only got to 4ft and yielded great buds . only planted late in the season so hardly any watering was necessary .multiple patches of sour bubble x guerrilla glue .View Image

I totally agree on the size of the plants. I have nothing but trouble when I try to grow trees. I like to transplant my seedlings first week of June. Even the second is plenty of time. I know silverback liked to grow just few plants and all of them trees. I personally think they take too much care.

 

[hamstring]

Last year I had 2 spots going. I had a really nice head start. Big healthy plants. 12 in one spot and about 30 in the second spot.
Then the helicopter....
The paranoia went to work on me.
The plots were on family land and I didn't want anyone getting in trouble. So I killed everything. It was a heartbreaker.
Come to find out, there was a murder investigation going on. And I was near a suspect's house. I think they were looking for a grave or trying to make the suspects nervous...
Well I got nervous instead.
I'm hoping there are no helicopters this year. That was really weird. Asking yourself "surely they're not wasting their fuel on little ol me?"

Hey brother nothing to be ashamed of there. I have been growing for so many years I have seen just about everything and made every mistake there is to make.

I had the same thing happen to me. I was at a spot and saw a chopper flying low overhead. I hid but it kept coming my way. I saw and it was all black. I was sure it was Leo. I stayed low and hightailed out to where my bike was hidden. The damn thing came right up next to the trees I was hiding in. I am not exaggerating. I laid down and it came down with a hundred 100ft of the ground. I was 100% positive this time they were on to me. I was totally freaked out. I waited until they moved on hopped on my bike and rode as fast as I could back to my car keeping one eye in the air the whole time.

I got back to my car and was headed out of the small town I was in. As I was headed out of town I saw several lineman working on power lines. I turned on the radio to a local news station. It turns out there was high winds a few days before and they were just checking the power lines. That explained why they were hovering so low. When they flew down close to me I was near some power lines.

Its so weird how self important we tend to believe we are. If I'm lucky I pull a few pounds each year. I doubt very much I'm that important to spend the money on a chopper looking for my measly plots.

But I was 100% sure they were.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

Wish I could have gotten to chat with silverback. Dude souned like he knew his stuff. I love how the guerrilla growers are their own little subgenre of the canna community.

 

[rod58]

call it paranoia Hamstring , maybe , but i say it's your flight/fight system at full revs .
i've had mates who were long time growers and they never paranoid . but they were the first to get caught because they never recognized what was coming there way . it's a survival thing and maybe it might be totally innocuous but on the other hand ......

 

[hamstring]

Wish I could have gotten to chat with silverback. Dude souned like he knew his stuff. I love how the guerrilla growers are their own little subgenre of the canna community.

The community just isn't the same without him. He was a very very knowledgable dude. Lots of knowledgeable peeps still left on here.

What made silverback so special was his warm heartedness. Willingness to share. Open to questions and even criticism. His strain knowledge was invaluable.

 

[hamstring]

call it paranoia Hamstring , maybe , but i say it's your flight/fight system at full revs .
i've had mates who were long time growers and they never paranoid . but they were the first to get caught because they never recognized what was coming there way . it's a survival thing and maybe it might be totally innocuous but on the other hand ......

Rod
You truly do have the wisdom that only comes with age. There have been plenty of bigger and better growers on the outdoor forum. I have never claimed to be a good grower but I am a good guerrilla. All my threads have been on safety more than growing.

I used to go on on about entrance and exit strategy. To me these two factors are the biggest key to success. Not nutes or strains or growing techniques. If you cant get in or out of the plot safely you cant grow weed, period. I have turned down more perspective plots than I have grown in by far.