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My son took his 9 year old with him to camp and shot an 8 point . My grandson claimed it as "his" deer . His younger 6 year old brother wanted to go out with dad and my son shot a doe with the muzzle loader making another grandson happy . Now the 6 year old twin sister wants to go out with dad because it's her turn . I called up my 6 year old grandson to congratulate him ( even though his dad shot the deer ) and he told me about seeing the deer's heart , his dad removing the guts and stuff and draining the blood . He was quite excited .

How................ That wasn't a question. Just me brushing up on my native American accent,lol

I shot this buck on 11/30/14 in the Adirondacks (Hamilton County) after tracking him for 4 hours 23 minutes (I originally claimed 5.5 hours in a FB post, I was incorrect according to my GPS) and covering 5.2 miles. I missed (deflected bullet) him once about halfway through the journey, but was able to connect when he got distracted by a doe and followed her across an opening in front of me. After shooting him I realized I had trail cam pictures of him last year over 2 miles from where I took up his track this year. These big woods bucks have large ranges! This was probably the most memorable hunt I've ever had, and boy did I have to work for it! Based on last year's trail cam pics and his tooth wear, which was at least as much as the 5 year-old 8pt (cementum annuli aged) I shot about a mile from there in 2012, I estimate this buck to be at least that old as well, perhaps even one year older. I will send his teeth in too to confirm. Gross green score of 131 and change. Brows are over 5 and 7" and bases are just shy of 5". The picture(s) I posted on FB last week generated a lot of comical comments about practicing shooting more, aiming better, and only taking ethical shots. Those folks don't realize that tracking is not blood trailing. They don't go 5.2 miles after a heart shot either. With tracking, you follow the buck BEFORE you shoot it... P.S. I wrote a much more detailed story of this hunt but I am going to see if I can get a magazine to buy it. They require it be unpublished material, which unfortunately includes posting it on an internet forum. If things go well, hopefully I will be able to post the story at a later date. (Sorry NYantler) Not something I normally look at, I thought this graph of my walking speed was interesting. (From GPS) Trail cam pics from 2013: Making a mock scrape:

Checked a couple of cameras today that were set up on some oaks, had 6 bucks on camera since Thanksgiving... Of note: Wannabe (3.5 year old) is still kicking around... Last pics prior to gun season... Monday morning... Daylight, only 15 yds from my groundblind!!! My favorite 2.5 yr old, 11-pt. I'm super excited to see what he turns into this next year!!! Sunday evening...

If the ammo background check part of the Safe Act goes into effect, I can see the Indians setting up Ammo shops.

I see more deer driving to and from my hunting spot so I'm going to drive my Subaru up to my stand. Heated seats are a bonus

Couple betters pics of the 2 year old from back in Sept... The buck in the background is still alive too...

And the survey says!

Unfortunately for most hunters that's the way it will always be... the problem really is after opening weekend there is very little pressure on the deer... the amount of hunters in the woods on any given day is dramatically reduced... without many hunters moving deer it makes it easy for bucks and does to hide in more secluded areas without worry of being bumped by a hunter... sitters will always have a tougher time later in the year unless there are some does that come into a 2nd estrus near there hunting spot... so those that aren't willing to change up their tactics late season are going to have nothing more than a nice sit in the woods. We all make choices and with those choices come consequences.. its really that simple.

Very good pronunciation Wooly. I am an expert in native American dialects. Learned everything I know from listening to the Hekawi indians on reruns of F-Troop. LOL

Nearly everyone that approaches me to ask about hunting are in this group. I am looking mostly at people my age and younger (I am 32). They are well educated people, with a very valid and real concern about food sourcing, ecology, and conservation. They were not raised around hunters but became receptive to it as they educated themselves. Yes-- we still have hunters coming out of hunting families. I did. A lot of the people that use this forum did. But to ignore this new generation of people looking to get back to nature/connect with food/conservation would be completely blind. They are the future of this sport and the future of conservation. Very, very interestingly they also tend to have an overlap with animal welfare advocates. This growing group of people also tend to be more involved in conservation as well. They are reaching a hand out to hunting, and some people are slapping it away. Not wise. Yes and no-- books like these, like them or not, are genuinely causing people to be receptive to hunting. I can name about five people that have gone from on the fence to genuinely curious about the sport. One wants to drive out and visit me and go hunting with me some time in the next few years. So, they are PR in the disguise but they do whittle away at things, too. I don't know if I am right or wrong, but I think as our society evolves (like it or not), we will actually see a large percentage of hunters be the people I am referring to here as the older generations age or pass on. The "back to nature" type people. More people are born outside of hunting families now than ever before, and the only way for them to get into hunting is to be a "back to nature" person. Actually, this makes me wonder. Have there been any studies/polls as to the age structure of American hunters?

Yes! The dogs returned after five days in the woods. They were skinny and one had porcupine quills in his face and contracted lymes disease, but they're home and healthy (after a trip to the vet). Thank you for your concerns and thank you to anyone who called for the dogs in sterling forest. I hiked more miles in those five days than I have all year.

Yes! The dogs returned after five days in the woods. They were skinny and one had porcupine quills in his face and contracted lymes disease, but they're home and healthy (after a trip to the vet). Thank you for your concerns and thank you to anyone who called for the dogs in sterling forest. I hiked more miles in those five days than I have all year.

It really does boil down to what works best for you... if going in early works.. then that's what you ought to be doing.. there are no real rules for how to deer hunt... deer are different, people are different... your experience will be different than others... do what keeps it enjoyable for you.

He was next door eating my neighbors bushes last night. Too bad I'm in Amherst..... No action this morning so far Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So because your freezer was empty you were or are more than willing to take a bigger chance then you are when its full? Are you saying you have more respect for filling the freezer than the game animal you are pursuing? This statement just confuses and baffles the hell out of me. Your shot taking chance standards should be just as high full freezer or not.

Now finally!!.. a good reason to get there early. I do remember one archery season day being in my stand at dark because I heard there was going to be a meteor shower that AM... front row to the best light show I've ever seen... worth every minute of sitting in the darkness.

1st buck I ever shot with my bow .... I was trying to sneak up on him as he was feeding under an apple tree. I accidentally cracked a branch and he took off , I grabbed my grunt call and he stopped on a dime , turned around and walked right back to the apple tree.. One of the best responses I've seen to a grunt since I have been hunting.. So I know exactly what you mean. I use it a little whenever I am trying to sneak around and accidentally make a noise.

Almost forgot an important one. Biz-R-O will send one over Four Season Whitetail's deer pen. The drone will be carrying scissors, and he'll guide it over Four Season's head to cut off his mullet. LOL

12-9-14 Late season success on the timbered edge of a goldenrod field. I sat on my stump daydreaming about shed season and all the antlers I'd be scooping up from the field behind me in the coming months. I had a sudden snap back to reality at 3pm when all of a sudden out of nowhere movement woke me up 25yds in front of me. This guy was casually following behind a young doe fawn and she led him right by me at 15yds before the ML swept him off his feet. He piled up about 40yds away, and when I arrived at his carcass I discovered he knocked an antler off when he crashed. I grabbed a few quick picures, and with sunset fast approaching I made a quick run home to grab a sled to make the drag out a little easier and protect his antler that was still attached. At home I realized I had this bucks antlers from last season which I included in these pics, and that I killed him just over 100yds away from where I had found those antlers last spring. This was the kind of hunt that made me thankful I could appreciate some of the finer points of the hunt without the size of the antlers clouding my excitement over him!

That excitement you feel is the feeling you want everytime. The second it goes away you know it's time to stop hunting.

This awesome little palmated yearling looks like he could be a Steuben County stud in a couple of years!!! [/url

I still don't understand the idea that on State land there is a hunter behind every tree. (Especially after the first week). I would think that big block State land, late season and snow would make for an ideal hunt. I have hunted state land in 6 and 7 and the hunting pressure is nothing like it used to be and very low after the first week. (you downstaters and your public land is a whole nuther story...lol)

There is an element of luck involved in hunting as well...

The Hekawi's were brave warriors that were afraid of their own shadows! F-Troop was a classic show. They had reruns on everyday when I was a kid. They surely don't make them like that anymore!

My favorite line out of the articles. "Or it could be that hunting is one of those experiences that appear utterly different from the inside than the outside"

This is for the most part good publicity from the NY Times - a liberal, urban newspaper - on the new hunters: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/books/new-breed-of-hunter-shoots-eats-and-writes.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/dining/25hunt.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/magazine/carnivore.html?pagewanted=all

Haha bet that would make one hell of a BOOM!

PB tend to fragment big time, in my mind they are beyond a poor choice. Any modern sabot used will not leave a plastic residue. Sst will expand just fine at Muzzleloader velocities

Another typical year for the most part. Jan and Feb were slow, I got back into shape. March was great with spring break and college tail in Miami. April was average at best, may - August was a typical slampig summer. The fall brought a little more weight on the slammies but faces stayed cute. Winter brought weight and weak ITG's. For those that don't know it's inner thigh gap. All in all, 7 brunettes, 3 blondes and 1 dying breed (a ginger) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wonder sometimes if when we use the words honesty and integrity when describing our character... if there are some that don't understand what those words really mean... those words always seem to get the definition of " holier than thou" or "better than others". Like having honesty and integrity is a bad thing... After hearing some of what is posted here its hard now to take all of the posts about ethics seriously.. frankly I'm surprised at the lack of integrity I'm getting from many of these "hunters". Although we aren't "holier" or "better" than anyone here... I am a little disheartened that we are definitely very different than so many.

Thanks everyone for all the compliments! You're missing out on the trail cameras- think of it as a catch and release trapline. Some of the pictures, animals, behaviors, etc. will amaze you. Plus, when you do get a good buck on camera in your area it gives you the most ingredient needed for any successful pursuit: HOPE. Hear that Wooly? Just kidding, I'm flattered but I don't have any grey hairs so I can only be a hero to someone who can't drive yet... I will for sure. No APP- Garmin Rino 655T, my 3rd GPS so far. I log waypoints for anything and everything I think I may be able to use at a later date. Rubs, scrapes, shed antlers, buck beds, mature mast trees, you name it. Carrying a GPS is also the reason I can name the precise # of miles I walked last spring in search of sheds: 226.1

You can also give Pete Clare a call at Turkey Trot Acres in Candor, Tioga county. Great lodge, great people, great food and above all lots of turkeys!! You will also learn alot and its a good clean place thats women friendly. It would be tough to get it done in 1 day..hunts are usually booked in a 3 day block.

Didn't see a thing today, all in all it was a good season for me, didn't get a big one but I got a couple in freezer. Hanging it up now and waiting for some hard water to add some walleye to my meat. Good luck to everyone on remainder of the season.

What a handsome woman and good hunter.

I plan to use some drones next year to verify whether forum members actually unload their weapons and leave their stands before legal shooting time ends. LOL Phade will use one to spy on Doc. He's got to be using a treestand at least some of the time! LOL Paula will send one over Bubba's cabin. She likes Bubba and wants to get a look at him from all different angles. LOL Pygmy will send one over Growalot's property. Pygmy can chime in on the reasons why. LOL

My words are presenting an argument to consider: that these contests hurt the image of hunters. My motive is to get people to think, to consider how things might be done differently. Call it Devil's advocacy. Call it what you want. Apparently, some people agree with me. Do I have any credibility? That is for others to decide. Some people consider me an authority "on whatever it is that I do". This is not personal. It is not about you and me. It is about the image of hunters.

Only if you buy bow privilege as well. Your first special privilege gives you an either sex tag. Your second special privilege gives you an antlerless only tag.

You are an elitist because you are suggesting that there might be things that we could do differently, possibly for the betterment of the sport and the environment. How dare you. For some, any suggestion of a change is an afront to their sense of independence; and they are likely to resist without actually listening to what's being suggested.

VJP - I do not publicly criticize other hunters. This discussion is between hunters. I do not have conversations with "non-hunters that are not too happy about hunting". I had a conversation with a non-hunter who reacted to the coyote contest advertisement. It prompted this discussion. I do speak to a lot of non-hunters. How could I not? I hope to convince them that without hunting, my business would suffer greatly. This, they understand. My goal when speaking publicly to general audiences is to inform them that I am a hunter. No one has ever criticized me - no anti has ever spoken up and challenged me. I do this to give credibility to the use of lead-free ammo. I speak about lead-free ammo as a hunter who has used it for a decade. I ask those who have hunters in their family to buy a box of lead-free ammunition for that hunter to try. I am convinced that a well informed hunter would use lead-free bullets. You say "The more publicity these issues get, whether it's lead ammo or contests, the more attention brought to them, the more likely we will see a law banning them." That is exactly my point. I only brought attention to this on a hunting forum. I am not running ads all over the state as are the coyote contest sponsors. Am I an elitist because I care about the image of hunters? Am I an elitist because I want to protect eagles and children from lead impacts? If so, I guess I will have to live with the label.

Any hunter can make an irresponsible shot. The weapon doesn't matter. That said, I wouldn't want the thread poster in my woods. He's a risk.

I am all for full inclusion. I am not ever for taking a shot at an animal that I have not practiced for and would know - not guess the trajectory.

Geeze...Sitting in a treestand in pitch dark for an hour and a half.. That sounds like lots of fun...Like whacking myself in the groin with a hammer or giving myself an enema with a turkey baster full of tabasco sauce...

Zag check this guy out, http://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/

I like to be in my stand an hour before sun up........bow or gun.This way by legal shooting time the woods settle down again..

Yes- it does. I have a moderate online following of people from all walks of life and I sometimes discuss hunting. Nearly all of them are non-hunters (which is different from an anti-hunter). They do not hunt but are not against it. But time and time again when contests (where the objective is to shoot the most of ____) come up, they are all pretty universally against contests and find them very off-putting. Including some of the professional biologists and ecologists I know. A few of them (biologists/ecologists) even hunt and live rurally. Leaving it up to the FWS to create and/or maintain an 'image' for hunters is very short-sighted. I am not suggesting that everyone worry about what others think, but taking a moment or two to think about image when doing something hunting-related in the public eye can, in fact, impact the future of hunting for all of us.

you have an either sex tag that can be used early or late when appropriate privilege is purchased. IF you did not fill you regular season tag you can use it in the late season to take either sex. In my case I did not take a buck yet so I can take two bucks in the ML season. How is that for optimism...lol

I've only used pellets. Easy to carry load and measure real quickly. Never had a problem with my TC so have not had a reason to go to powder.

She was well before my time but I've seen a few classic movies and her "One Million Years BC" was pretty iconic. Watched the entire movie when I was a little kid hoping for that outfit to get caught on a twig or something.

outdoor sink at the camp... used some scrape hemlock I had laying around and a sink a friend of mine was tossing... still some work to be done on it, but a good start