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I went for routine CT Scan yesterday of my lungs, and I received e-mail from my Oncologist today. He told me the CT Scan was stable and no sign of cancer return. Its been almost a year since they took the lung lobe out, and I'm holding my own!! That's news to be thankful to hear!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Filled my 2 DMAPs on the farm this evening. Had 2 does come trotting across the field edge, as I was standing on the ground with my buddy's Remmy 870. I shot the first, taking out both front shoulders. She went skidding into the woods and the second one followed right in her tracks and met the same fate. No hero pics of these ones, too much work to do. One was old and the other was a yearling. Its all trophy hunting for me from here on out.

I would be suspicious of the doctor because he probably is also a hunter, knows where you hunt, has recently seen a slammer there and he has the next four days off. Hahaha. Get well soon!

Special thanks for all the men and woman serving overseas that aren't with their families today! No place like home, Happy Thanksgiving!

Shot it yesterday!

Have a great day

At some time or another we've all endured a day afield under windy conditions. Deer and other game don't like high winds anymore than we do. Deer will seek out areas with little or low wind velocities and hunker down till it subsides. Softwoods, ie pines, swamps, laurels and the lee side of a hill or ridge all come to mind. We can go to these places and setup a stand or still hunt through these areas. However, sooner or later the need to feed comes in to play. When it's unseasonably cold and/or windy my hunting buddies and I refer to what the deer will be doing feed wise as "Power Packing" This is when deer basically leave the sheltered areas and head for the nearest standing or cut unplowed cornfield. Corn is high in carbohydrates and is the fuel that mammals use to power their bodies. Carbohydrates are converted to sugars but that is another subject. Many a deer we've taken on cold mornings following brutally cold night had theirs stomachs packed full of corn. We always inspect a deer's stomach contents while field dressing to see what they've been eating. I've done this starting with my first deer, which was an unintentional inspection at the time What can we do as hunters to prepare us for these same weather conditions? Carbohydrates. It's been a long tradition with my family to have a pre gun season dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with pasta piled high and fresh baked bread. Being diabetic now a dinner like that would have me in near coma conditions. Carbohydrates are converted to sugars and the time required for this process depends on the individual and type of carbohydrates consumed. A glass of orange juice will take 10 to 15 minutes. A piece of chocolate will take longer to process the carbs because your body will metabolize the chocolate first. A big pile of pasta will have you fueled up in 4 hours and keep you going for a good 12 - 16 hours. Taking snacks with you should be more than grabbing stuff at the mini mart on the way to your spot. Crackers Cheez It Lance cheese crackers with peanut butter filling come to mind along with a trail mix. I've found trail mix's have way too much salt and usually require a quart of water as a chaser. Sandwiches with an extra slice or three of cheese work well also. Now that we got good stuff on the inside let's discuss the outside. Why do we get cold in the wind? Wind chill. Wind chill is evaporitive cooling. You skin is moist and wind coming in contact with it removes the moisture along with the heat. That's why we sweat when are body get's heated. It's a basic anatomical function. No way we can stop it but we can control it. When I was in the service I undertook cold weather survival at Ft Drum. The instructor beat in to our heads one thing a dozen times a day. If you get wet, you're dead. Hiking in to your spot when it's cold dress light. I see many a hunter huffing and puffing along a trail with their parkas wide open and wiping sweat from their face. They're done hunting before they've even started if it's a cold and or windy day. Unless it's in single digits, I wear a pair of sweatpants, no insulated underwear, a T-shirt and my outer parka. The rest is in my pack. I change into my hunting garb at my spot. I also change socks. Your feet will sweat whether you realize it or not. Take your boots and socks off let your feet air dry put on fresh dry socks and your boots. Make sure you put them stinky socks and T-shirt in a Zip Loc bag. Outwear. I use two different outer garments depending on the weather. The first one is a parka made by Marc Bardger designer of Predator Camoflague It uses an outer material of Wolfskin. and is lined with Thinsulate. http://www.graywolfwoolens.com/store/pages.php?pageid=3 The second set is a GI surplus ECWS parka and pants. http://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-ECWCS-WOOD-LAND-CAMOUFLAGE-CHEM-PROTECTION-PARKA-MEDIUM-REGULAR-/141125890837 The ECWS is by no means a quiet outfit but it will keep you warm and dry in the worst of conditions. A quick and dirty trick that I have used is to put a rainsuit, the cheapo viinyl sets, on just under neath your outer wear. This works if your stationary and really blocks the wind. Don't go walking around with this on. You'll sweat in no time and then freeze. "You get wet you're dead"

Yikes Irish...feel better- I will offer a second opinion which has no medical validity - 1.5 days rest from time of incident-jack Daniels for pain management

Farm is not wild about sharing pics. Of deer ,the faces have been cut out to protect our spot ....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Cooked up some back strap in onions, mushrooms, and bacon pieces. Sooooo good. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

Wishing everyone of my fellow hunters and huntresses a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am most certainly thankful for my health, my family and my friends. Be safe out there today wherever you may be headed!

The tenderloins for jerky...say it aint so,lol?

Tried a different spot at a farm this morning that I avoided because it gets pounded opening day historically. No shots heard but does running everywhere. 100% different activity than our main spot only 5 miles away. Took a doe at 11am... Will have to butcher after family dinner. So, so thankful for this doe!!

I hope they have something as good or better to replace it with. Frankly, I think the DECALS system is the best thing that has ever happened to hunting license issuing. It sure beats any systems that preceded it. I remember all the hand printing and waiting and the BS involved with obtaining a permit. What a pain that was.

Well wanted to head out tomorrow but I think I dipped into my vodka a bit too much. Gonna be tough to get up at 4am Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

I have killed some deer on turkey day..Killed my first T-Day buck on Thanksgiving morning, 1968... Since I have retired, I don't need to hunt every day anymore... Considering the weather report, I think I will float a few icecubes in some amber colored liquid and sit back on the couch... Perhaps the weather will be better on Saturday...Or Sunday.....

I honestly think that before anyone tries to come up with a solution, they should hunt in every wmu and experience ot before telling those who do hunt there how they need to hunt and manage their deer herd

This is a very tough question. I rely on the venison to help my family stretch our beef as far as we can. Right now we're getting 2 years from a side of beef, suplemented by venison. I don't give half a damn how many points are on the bones sticking out of the deers head that I can't eat. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

Nice job on the mount....Antler mounts, I like! Sorry you had to be subjected to the nit-picker on this post.

Leaving Arizona on the 'red eye' tonite and should be at the cabin in the Catskills by noon tomorrow to hunt until the 7th of Dec. . It's always tough to wait until the 3rd week to get started but when it gets here it is all a guy could ask for. Great friends, warm cabin , great food and beverages and a chance to be in the woods with a rifle. Jim

So call daughter to say we were running late...no answer...told Mr. B Oh no ...What ? no answer they are probably putting out a fire...holy crap...she called back...no problem on being late...dinners ruined...22# turkey in smoker...grease fire ...went up in flames...whole cooker engulfed..... burnt the paint right off...thank God she had a back up turkey breast in oven for those that don't like smoked meat....a story for years of enjoyment...every thing including the chard bird was great!...Why never to put any out door cooking equipment near house or car port....they had it in the middle of the side yard....Lots to be Thankful for today...lol PS...She no longer wants a turkey fryer .....

Lol i wanted top notch filet migvenison jerky!

Sounds good. I'm getting ready to start my second batch. I like to use http://www.himtnjerky.com/ and I can usually find it at AGWAY.

Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.... even these deer on my cul-de-sac got a free pass today, I'm in Holiday spirit.... :-)

And done Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk

difference is cwd. Deer eat from the same pile of food and spread the prion. That is one reason scent is different than food

That's why I'm working right now and will be hunting when everyone goes home for dinner! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

Totally Agree. I love just being in the woods. Even better to see fox, owls, piliated woodpeckers etc. I pass on more doe and small bucks them I can count. It's never the numbers for me. It's the story behind the hunt that I love.

I went from cozy to frozen in 1hr 15 mins...gonna hang on til 8 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

NYS habitat is in decline as old farmland brush-lots mature into full-growth over-story. Some places worse than other places. Yes, there is still some excellent habitat, but we are losing it at an alarming rate, and there are increasingly more places that used to be prime deer hunting area that are either being eaten up by development, posted out of accessible reach, leased and under-hunted, or simply maturing beyond usefulness for deer habitat.

Traditional hunt day for my son and I... and the start of a big Adirondack hunting weekend... today we hunt until Thanksgiving dinner that my wife slaves to make for the family... then a local hunt tomorrow and off to hunting camp tomorrow night... great weekend with my longtime hunting friends made special because now all our sons are there to hunt with us as well... hopefully when us old-timers are gone they will carry on the tradition passed on by our fathers.. Happy Thanksgiving fellas!

Every part of me says to stay home this morning, last time I had this feeling, I shot a buck with the muzzle loader.

at 72 I stay home and help the wife we have the family coming for the bird and also a early xmas day as we travel a week prior to xmas down to Myrtle beach SC. I hope all have a great day with family and friends and if you are hunting ( it 9 degree here ) with light snow, that a big bucks walks into your sight today. if you are traveling take the extra time and do not speed the roads are ice covered in some areas.. get there safe and god bless all . if you are a service person thank you again for your service and have a great day. I was in Jan 1960 to Nov 1963 USAF, and sure did miss my Mom cooking but they do a great job at the mess hall as well.

Ill be out with all of the guys doing drives. Its our Turkey day tradition. We have certain properties that get driven and certain ones that dont. Its always a good time. More about the camaraderie than killing deer.

your granddad did a great job... I have a bunch he can do for me..

If we didn't have disagreement this place wouldn't be all that fun. Admitting when someone's right or wrong or agreeing with someone is where some guys lack but it's all good... I think quite a few guys on here would be a blast to throw a few cold ones back and enjoy some good laughs. Or even get out in he same timber with and hunt.

Hey and for those who need a laugh ( at my expense....permission granted) let me show you my stand from this morning. I call it my "tree tent" or my "buddy stand". Not because I take anybody up there with me, but because I actually have one of those small propane "buddy heaters" in it. I haven't turned the heater on yet this year because ... Uh ... Well... I'm afraid it might be seen as a bit if overkill. Hahaha. Or, more honestly I'm afraid the tent might fill up with propane and when it sparks the whole mess might go up in one quick.... Whoosh!!! And then I'll go down in local lore as the hunter who flash fried himself in the top of a pine tree. Hahaha!!

I'd say last night many deer died, I heard more shots from 4 to 5 than all the other afternoons combined. My buddy took a nice 8pt 24 inch inside spread close to my stands,3rd nice buck with in a few hundred yard spot.

Yes. I suspect despite our level of disagreement online amongst us all we would all enjoy hunting and hanging out in person at some point. Such is life in the electronic age and distance.

Careful Driving ... LOL

Nice mount and rack.

I for one am rushing to go sign up right now!!! It sounds like heaven on earth down there, they have food and beverages? Wow!!!

Side of my nose and eyebrow area are swelled a bit lol

Hey good news. I have video of the deer I thought I shot from the following evening. Clearly he's doing just fine. I also happen to see him again today, although I didn't have a shot because he was on the opposite ridge that I was on. IMAG0008.AVI

My Birthday Buck, first day of a 26 day hunt. I think I jumped him earlier in the day. Called in with a doe bleet and grunt tube. After using the can I heard a grunt 30 minutes later and responded with a grunt. Twenty minutes of him making rubs just below me (I wondered what that noise was?) he came into view for a perfect broad side shot. Felt like a gift from heaven above, my 3rd Buck out of Moose River and the highlight of my ADK hunting adventures. What a Birthday gift!!!

I still hunt most of the day, and usually find a nice spot to sit up against a tree for the final hour and a half or so of shooting light. I to like to being on the ground part as NFA had stated, you can really learn the habits of the deer you are hunting this way. Last weekend while still hunting I was able to pattern the deer that I shot sunday. I figured out where he was coming out of the swamps into the hard woods at night and just slowly still hunted through that area and caught him sneaking out of the swamp on one of the runways. I do have a few stands that I hunt that always have deer activity, but the big woods are always changing, they are not as predictable as deer in fragmented habitats, so I feel that still hunting and finding a nice spot to sit works best for me, you can keep up with the changes in habits.

wish i could claim one of these as my own, but cannot. Some very nice bucks taken by my family, including what I would consider a once in a lifetime buck on opening day.

This is my uncles 8 pt that was taken on Saturday (opening day) at 1130. It scored 241.50. We saw this buck during bow season but never came into range for either of us. Well needless to say, he got his prize!

My brothers first buck and first buck we took off our own property. Shot at 4pm yesterday , he was chasing two does, no blood trail. We got a little worried but he was piled up 75 yards away. Its a beautiful 8. Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk