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Found this guy trying to cross the road when I went to get the mail from the box today. I think he decided to take a nap half ways across, so I scooped him up to get him out of harms way. Not a very big one compared to others I've seen around here, but still a healthy snapper. I didn't see any obvious damage to him, so I tossed him in a recycling bin, grabbed my camera, and relocated him across the road down in the creek away from traffic. As soon as he saw the water, it was like new life sprang into him and he couldn't wait to dive in! Maybe the swarm of skeeters around us had something to do with that. You can see them in a few of the pics. I know a lot of folks around here make no attempt to avoid these "speed bumps", so I'm glad he I found him in one piece when I did.

Went up to the property this weekend to try a food plot project with my father that we have been talking about for years! It was a TON of work but well worth it. Had a great time working with my dad trying to race the clock to get the land cleared, plowed, disc, de rocked and de rooted, limed, fertilized and finally try the old Ford 309 corn planter. All within a weekend. Hoping for a little rain and luck to see it grow. Posted a couple pics of the before and after along with some of the work.

I aided a painted turtle today in her road crossing efforts. I hate seeing them smashed in the road...

This spring I was fortunate enough to harvest a turkey and have always wanted to make a wing bone call. This is something I have never tried to make before but thought that it would be a fun side project. Well, here is the final product. Now if I could only figure out how to get a decent sound out of it, but I have a year to figure that out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Prehistoric looking. They are pretty awesome hunters in water. Nice save!

Super contest this year. Real cliff hanger right down to the last. Congrats to all the winners, as well as everyone that participated in turkey hunting in general. I really enjoyed all the action throughout the season. I prize the stories, as well as the birds. You all have something to be proud of! A special Thank You to WNY BuckHunter for his time spent, running another excellent contest this year. Hats off to you sir!

Yes, only if I could be neighbors with Sarah Palin!

Kind of a planting journal. Clover, alfalfa, trefoil, vetch, and grass seedings look shorter and thinner than typical years. Looks like the hay production will be less. Doesn't sit well with me but, it sure doesn't bother the deer any. The chess sure grew good though, as seen in the pics. Took the pics during the lunch hour and found 9 deer in a short distance. I'm sure some have planted fawns in the hay. We usually have all doe and young this time of year, but something has changed the area to incorporate more bucks. Was hoping to get some turkey poult pics, but that wasn't to be. My plans have changed, to a August planting of daikon radish and peas due to still not being able to work the land. Hay will be removed first, to help yield, then hit it with the chisel. Mondays 1 1/2" rainfall sure didn't help. Will shoot some oats and wheat in pre Labor Day.

Thanks for all the input! I recently purchased the Ruger American in the 30-06, I love it, I have been shooting at the range lately and truly enjoy shooting it! I am looking forward to the fall!

Hiking into my turkey blind this morning when I bumped a deer. That's been happening every morning lately, so nothing unusual there. A little further along I spotted a little dot in my headlight beam reflecting back at me so I went to check it out and here's what I found! I was getting a little carried away with pictures flashing in his face and forgot that I needed to pay attention to where momma was before she put the boots to me,lol. I forced myself to leave him after a few shots so mom could get back to him and went on to another exciting turkey hunt! I let him get a good whiff of me so he remembers who I am in a few weeks when he's moving around on his own.

I'm not even really sure why I like them so much. Probably because this is really the only time of year they make themselves visible before heading back into the deep, dark depths of the swamps. Other than the nuisance turtles that may take up residence in some ones pond, this is likely the only other time most folks will ever encounter one. With such little contact, I don't think average Joe knows all that much about them other than they have a nasty temperament if provoked. Once nesting season rolls around and folks start seeing these "menaces" out of their natural environment, their ignorance about the reclusive creatures turns to fear, and the feeling of need to eradicate them, or at the very least, not assist them during this vulnerable time while they're out of water in search of nesting grounds. Probably not the best critter to mess with for someone who doesn't know anything about them like Hector was saying. The success rates of juvenile turtles surviving to adulthood is very slim to begin with. Guess I just like to do my best to make sure the breeding females have the opportunity to lay as many eggs as possible to ensure some survive. I'm still looking for my first turtle shell but could never kill a live one one to obtain it. I've seen a few made into turkey calls when topped with a slate surface. That would be pretty cool to do if I ever find one.

You woke me up ! It would be funny to see that fat kid on the bike covered with paint ! I could see a serious problem if it happened where there were riders on horses ............. whoa Nellie !

I was driving down a road in the National Forest one day and seen a couple cars pulled over. So I slowed down, and there was a snapping turtle about that size in the road. So I stopped, this young tree hugger type lady was getting ready to just reach down and pick him up, I am like you know that is a snapping turtle and if you don't pick him up just right he might bite you and take your finger off.You could tell the turtle was not in a good mood and to be very careful before I made a move. Next thing I know the other vehicle had a older lady I am guessing 60-70 range opens the back of her Subaru and pulls out a ski pole.She tries to use the pole to push the turtle from his head and next thing you know the turtle jumped forward about a foot and about a foot off the ground and grabbed a hold of the ski pole. The look on those ladies faces was priceless at that point.The turtle was latched onto the ski pole and was dragged to the side of the road.

The same thing is available in New York... Hunting clubs , a few persons, or even one person can enter "adopt a natural resource" agreements with the DEC and do the same in NY. There also is a "stewardship agreement" which is exactly the same thing with the NY Natural Heritage. Natural Heritage IS the DEC, but it is a division of the DEC which works closely with SUNY Environmental Department. All these programs and funding exists here and elsewhere.... Then there are the NGOs such as Pheasant Forever. Local chapters have planted cover that is good for pheasant hunting and has high wildlife habitat value for native birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, bees and other pollinators, and helps with soil ,water recharging, carbon sequestration... But prime habitat may not be the best training cover. While on the topic of PF - when they plant native warm season grasses in NY unless they commit to maintenance this grass gets ousted. I also seen PF habitat areas next to shooting ranges, snow mobile trails, ect.... I like PF, but seen a couple projects that made me scratch my head.... Besides, with the adopt and stewardship agreements, you don't need NGOs (non government organizations), a person or a few hunters can partner with the DEC. It is best to strike a balance - plant prime habitat, but only mow part of it for training. The rest mow on a conservation minded schedule.

Mr. Orwell? Mr. George Orwell? You can't discriminate against a gay person just because you don't like the fact they're gay and in their being gay they make you uncomfortable. You can't discriminate against a black person because you've seen black people on the evening news being arrested for committing some crime and therefore black people make you uncomfortable. You can't discriminate against Jews because you don't like them and they don't share your same belief system. But, if you don't like guns you're in for a treat because Democratic California Assembly Members Nancy Skinner of Berkeley and Das Williams of Santa Barbara have introduced Assembly Bill 1014 giving you the power to do something about your unease with and dislike of firearms. According to CAL-FFL, Assembly Bill 1014 allows you to ask a court for a "Gun Violence Restraining Order" and subsequent "firearms seizure warrant" against California gun owners. And the best part is that you don't have to actually know the person or anything about them other than they own a firearm. So what does that mean? Well, you could find all the people in your local area that own guns - maybe with the aid of one of those helpful CCW maps newspapers are so fond of publishing - and start asking the courts for a "Gun Violence Restraining Order" against each of those individuals simply because you believe they, as CAL-FFL notes, "pose a significant risk of personal injury to himself, herself, or others by owning or possessing" guns. We would never accept this kind of unwarranted harassment of other groups, such as gays, blacks or Jews, because we inherently understand that to be morally wrong. But when it comes to gun owners, that seems to be a whole other issue and people are completely fine and utterly unfazed by applying a standard they would never dream to apply to groups identified by their sexual preference, ethnicity or religious beliefs. As gun owners though, we are simply fair game. We can be as law abiding as we want. We can be upstanding members of our communities. We can be philanthropists and generously volunteer our time for important causes. But, if we own a firearm then we are a separate kind of citizen, a second-class citizen, and all our contributions to society are for naught and we are deemed undeserving of the same constitutional protections others are entitled to and enjoy. All this is because somebody somewhere committed a crime with a gun. In their zeal to pass legislation that reflects their doing "something, anything" to address gun violence, the California legislators reveal their true, horrifying nature. And that is the harboring of a casual indifference to gun owners as a group which perilously borders on dangerous because it serves to fuel the misdeeds of a governmental system that plays to public outcry by taking advantage of isolated tragedies, such as the recent Santa Barbara area shooting. I could suggest parallels like the rounding up of Japanese Americans by the U.S. Government and placing them in internment camps during World War II, but they'd say "that's entirely different." I could point to Russia's reported recent registration of Ukrainian Jews, which was met with global damnation, but that would again be "entirely different." In fact, I was told just that by a friend whose view on guns is that they are inherently dangerous and therefore registration of gun owners is perfectly justified, as opposed to the registration of Jews which is horrifying. I did not ask how they proposed handling registration of a gun owner that was Jewish. I could point to the systemic isolation and subjugation of blacks through past racist laws and societal norms, but that too would be "entirely different." The fact is that we are being further marginalized as a group, but because we are not identifiable by sexual preference, ethnicity or religious beliefs it doesn't rise to the level of discrimination - regardless of how specifically and narrowly targeted their efforts are. We are entering a climate increasingly reminiscent of something out of George Orwell's classic, 1984, where our fellow citizens are encouraged to report us to the authorities. Of course, we have already been through this with the fight against the red menace during the McCarthy era...but "that's entirely different." The turning of citizens against citizens is exactly what Assembly Bill 1014 would implement. And the bill proves that the road to Hell is indeed paved with good intentions but they should at least be honest about their intentions and rename this Assembly Bill 1984. - Paul Erhardt, Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network

It could be that that was a lady turtle off to lay eggs. I think June is about the time that they do that. They can travel quite a ways overland to lay eggs, and that is often the reason they wind up crossing roads. One year when I was plowing a field, I noticed a whole bunch of snapping turtle eggs that had been laid in the field. This was close to 3 or 4 hundred yards from the swamp and on the opposite side of the road. I re-buried them off to the side of the field, and hoped for the best.

Not sure... if i could get a job at the gold mine my buddy works @ i would do it in a heartbeat!!! the're paychecks are totaly insane!!

Good job bud!! I saw 2 dead on the way to work this am.I carry a spade nose shovel in the truck during the spring-early summer just so I can pick them up and get them across the road

Normally I don't like to disturb or handle any of the critters I come across, but this is one of the few times I'll make an exception. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they really enjoy being around or seeing snapping turtles. Kinda makes me have a soft spot for them knowing they don't get the special treatment some of our cuter furry critters get.

I've seen a few dead on the road lately. Good save wooly.

They eat fawns

I guess that makes them a tuff guy.they are the same people that empty there guns at anything that moves.And they cry the most because they never see deer..

I have mine going all year right behind my place. Today I pulled the chips from two cameras, and here are two pics. More to come. The one with the fawn was last year

Well Happy Day After Your Birthday!

The gun database was already released for pistol license holders and its available in an excel file for all to see on the web with your full name and address. Unfortunately its public information. Now that info is also neatly mapped out on google maps as well. So no, I don't have a problem with the NRA having the same info that every other guy can have with a simple google search.

Yeah machinist! It would have felt great to tag out on the last day with that gobbler but my buddy has been patient over the three years he has hunted with me and watched me harvest four birds before he took his first bird. It really cool seeing how excited he was when he put the bird down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

3 acre corn field... 1 acre field 1/2 sweet corn/ turnips

Your talking about Kathy Hochul. We'll chew on this friends, The Erie County Chapter of Scope give her an A+ rating and said and I quote, " She is a friend of the Second Amendment. They endorsed her when she ran back in 2010 for the 26th district seat in a special lop sided election that was held. When she was Erie County Clerk, she was to speed up pistol permits down from the 12 to 18 month waiting period, by having reps. at area gun shows. I don't know if this ever happen. Scope went all " gun hoe" over that deal also.

a pro gun organization keeping records of gun owners and potential members? no way!

I would too if I ran the NRA Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

I have been to Alaska seven times hunting and fishing...I wish I could afford to go every year. I LOVE the place ! Live there ?? You gotta be KIDDING !! Very brief spring, short summer, very brief fall and LOOOOONG dark winter. Fishing is excellent, but GOOD hunting even for most Alaskans is an expensive plane ride away. Anyplace accessible by roads ( even atvs) is either marginal hunting or tags are very difficult to draw. Even Alaskan residents have to wait years to draw a moose tag on the Kenai. WONDERFUL place to go fishing or hunting ( IF you have deep pockets) but I would never want to live there. I think I read someplace that the suicide rate is the highest in the nation.

Like my friend said before he left for Alaska.. ."Don't be afraid of going out on a limb,that's where all the bananas are" That was over 10 years ago, an he's still there.

In a heartbeat.... I could probably fit all my sentimental posessions in one suitcase, and I'd just buy a new toothbrush when I got there! As long as everything looked secure on the job front, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity. Life's about making choices and taking chances. If we had a crystal ball to foresee the future, we'd be so terrified that we'd never chase our dreams! Good luck with your decision if everything else pans out for ya!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

i got to be honest. vacating/hunting trips to alaska absolutely. living there full time, i don't know. id go nuts not being able to eat at a real italian restaurant lol.

I doubt that, but it's possible, however "he's the seller". Does anyone know how much liability falls on the buyer? I imagine more is on the seller. Anyhow, I bet that because this is for his grandfather, and he has a life, it's probably going to be a long process (especially in NY) to catalog, research values and get all the paperwork and photos together.

A proposal in Jersey to change the status of the mourning dove from a "nongame species" to a "game species" was published in the NJ state register February 21, 2012 - look at page 101, comment 42 and scroll down the NJ DEP's response. A game species is indeed "partially protected" when a hunting season and other regulation of its harvest is established. However a game species is fully protected when a hunting season is not established. Here is the link: http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/adoptions/adopt_120221b.pdf