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I am an older hunter who loves to hunt and fish. I am happy to find this site because I love to share hunting experiences. I hunt with all modern weapons depending on the season. I do like archery the best though because of the quietness and how close you need to be to harvest your deer. I look forward to reading and sharing hunting adventures. Frank

I was bummed that I got rained out of today's planned shed hunt. We got a break in the rain around noon and I decided to go check some turkey cams. I parked the truck and headed down the hill through some thick pines on the side of the road and BOOM...there laid shed #13 and my biggest of the year. Looks like last year's...only 50 yds off the road...I've driven by it hundreds of times. It has some super mass and would have gone around 62" had the brow and G2 not been chewed on.

Saturday morning at Montezuma. Pretty sure these two are married...

And you decide to use a crossbow. Will you still use a traditional, and or compound bow also, to hunt deer? If full inclusion happens this year. I will do all I can to kill one more deer with my compound, first. Nothing can compare to the satisfaction, for me, to killing a deer with my bow. But due to my increasingly bad shoulders, I will not be able to draw and hold my compound much longer. I know I'll always miss hunting with my compound but with the crossbow, at least I can still participate, and enjoy the early season hunt. What will you guy's be doing?

Turkey season is a few weeks old, but it's only my second day in the woods. Mid 40's and a warming sun. The kind of spring morning when you're not at work and really don't even care if you pull the trigger.

Wrong option...Cramming antlerless-only down the throat of buck hunters is not going to work.. It may backfire on them..The earn a buck option is a much better plan IMHO, because it gives the buck hunters ( of which there are many) a viable option.. It wouldn't matter to me, personally, because as long as I can shoot a doe or two a year for the freezer, I could care less if I EVER shoot another buck, but to MANY hunters, shooting a buck is a very important goal. To a significant number of those hunters, shooting a BIG buck is very important, and doe-only regulations are not going to change that. I suspect a backlash involving hunters refusing to shoot does is more likely.

We were out shopping a few weeks back and hit a little woodworking shop and they had some nice cutting boards. So i figured id give it a try. Mind you I have almost zero tools, actually none but i was able to borrow some. Basically i cut the peices with the chainsaw then used the table saw or miter saw for the edges/ends. Then used a power handheld plainer and a palm sander. I figure ill keep a couple and give the rest as gifts. The one on the left is from a large red oak that came down like 5yrs ago, the middle wood I'm not sure and the right is walnut from my back yard.

Grampy, I'm in the same boat as you. The last few months my drawing arm (right shoulder) has been painful and I have difficulty pulling back and holding my Compound. So a few weeks ago I decided to purchase a XB (PSE Fang) to use this spring for Turkey and hopefully if included, during early archery in Southern Zone. At least this will give me the opportunity to get back in the game. Have not had the opportunity to sight it in yet. Hopefully I will be able to this coming weekend.

K...was out of town last week. Just put on the first coat of stain. After this dries, will put another coat on and then when completely dry, the finish. Getting closer....

Put this in last night a little after midnight and let it go until 7:30 am. It's delicious. Gonna have to make more. This little impromptu batch won't last long. Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

If goes to full inclusion then I'd buy a crossbow and hunt with it at times, but I would continue to hunt with my compound as well. I'd be glad for all the guys with shoulder issues and would welcome the use of another tool as a choice to hunt with.

Let them for the first year or maybe two. Approaching crossbow hunting like gun hunting will guarantee one thing. A great market in a year or two for barely used, like new crossbows for about 50 cents on the dollar. lol

Happy 40'th B-day John-boy! Hope you don't get stuck at the office again!

PS. What kind of person doesn't realize there is a difference between a shut down and a thread being put in the proper sub-forum so it doesn't clog up the recent topics list that many people use. Basic civility should be expected and VJP consistently pushes political agendas anywhere and everywhere on this site in face of the rules of the road. This whole thread has been nothing but political and it's a shame because we're on a hunting site.

That is what is different between bowhunters. Those that first fought for a "special" bow season really enjoyed the challenge of that particular weapon. It was all about the love of the bow and the fantastic feeling of accomplishment that those unique hunters got from successfully taking on the challenge. It really was all about the bow. Now "bowhunters" are predominantly all about the kill regardless of what weapon is used. There has been an evolution of mindset more than equipment. The mentality now is, weapon be damned. Just give me a piece of that early season and whatever I can find that will whack a deer with the least amount of effort, challenge and skill. Two completely different schools of thought and attitude. And in today's technocracy, guess which one is winning out.

Backwards xbow easier for doe than compoundNo and he has a valid point....he's talking compound and it's true...a buck is much much more likely to be alone or dogging a doe to point nothing else matters than a doe is....doe travel in groups making it harder to draw a compound I have had it happen many times....get busted by one the the many pairs of eyes on you bc they all can't be behind a tree.....a lone buck will likely give more opportunity to draw....thus a xbow would likely increase opportunity to kill does as you don't have to draw Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I have nothing against crossbows...I could give a rat's patoot either way on that subject.. But if you think legalizing crossbows across the board is going to solve( or even affect) deer population issues, you are dreaming..

The answer to overpopulation is the crossbow? OK...........................................

Here is one I finished up over the holiday weekend. Madrone Burl 3.25" glass surface. Walnut and bamboo striker. She is a stunner in all categories. She looks beautiful and is sure to melt the hearts of some old toms when she sings. Just don't get caught admiring your new caller when he comes. $75 Shipped Sound File:

Happy birthday !! Hope your day is filled with fun.

Split pea soup, homemade! I just finished a double batch, loaded with big chunks of ham. Tomorrow could be rough.....................

I'm hoping for full inclusion of crossbows during archery season. I can't physically draw a bow any more, and I miss being in the woods with a weapon during that magical time of year.

That looks good a taste would be much better then a pic! you could always send samples out LOL

I'm not gonna lie probably use xbow....but for me won't matter because will be first season in about 8 years my dad will be able to get out so don't matter what I use Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Made this before and it was great. Pounded boneless chicken breasts , dash of chicken Montreal seasoning , sliced cheddar cheese and pickled minced candied jalapeños Then wrapped in bacon.

well just for the record wasn't all deer numbers down last year??

Actually, the easiest way to do that is during a season where they already have the most efficient equipment to really do the job. That would be the regular gun season. If they were really serious about that little "doe only" fiasco, and if they truly wanted the doe population whacked on, they would have done the real obvious solution which would have been to devote a few days of gun season to "doe-only" harvesting. The deer population control has absolutely nothing to do with crossbows, or bow season. I know it, you know it, and the DEC knows it too. So no, the crossbow is not the salvation of overpopulated situations or even close. However, if that is what they are pinning their hopes on, they will be real happy to start working firearms into the bow season as they are threatening. While that is something that bowhunters would really hate seeing, I do believe that that is the DEC's end game. The crossbow push by the DEC is more likely motivated as an initial interim conditioning step to break down the bowhunter resistance as they work toward the time when the mix of firearms and bows is maximized.

It's not the hunters making this decision, the dec wants deer taken to keep population in check. So they want the take increased in early season.. so easiest way to do that is get more hunters with more equipment in the field, can't draw back a bow anymore because. Your up in age ao can't stand the cold? Here I a compound or crossbow. Shoot away. The biggest change in deer hunting is the mentality of antlers first.. got hunt early to get chance at big buck, can't shoot that doe maybe the big one is after her.. It comes down to pure numbers for the dec.. people went crazy when areas were made doe only for two weeks ,now whole areas in other states are being made doe only. I honestly believe that if bow hunters had shot doe that x bows would be a non issue. As it stands in the goals of herd management this is very good legislation and should be supported.

Crossbows and Jesus, hallelujah! X-Calibur Lighting Systems http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

Well Paula, the original post was about antlerless deer seasons in Wisconsin, so I thought I'd drop that bomb that Wisky already has a wolf population. Since I'm dropping links tonight, here's another. See, Wisky also already has an "all inclusive" x-bow season and they STILL can't get antlerless #'s under control. My guess would be the wolves will flourish soon in this deer rich environment and even the x-bow guys will be left wondering if they could have done more since there seems to be a lot of backlash to this "antlerless only" proposal. Nature will find it's own way of balancing things out if hunters don't want to do their part. http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/articles/wisconsin-crossbow-hunting-now-open-for-all

The crossbow inclusion will not be the total answer to controlling the population. All the cries that the crossbow is such a huge advantage in archery season is usually screamed out by those who (1) never shot or hunted with a crossbow (2) don't want any other group infringing on "their" hunting season (3) can't afford one. In Pennsylvania, when crossbow was included in archery for the first time, the license sales and deer kill both fell within normal fluctuations. I haven't harvested any more deer in PA with the crossbow than I normally would have with the bow. I suppose that in an area with excessive deer population, it may bring out a few more hunters, but I doubt it would ever be enough to solve the problem.

It's about removing officers and senior NCO's from the command structure who won't blindly obey orders. Even stupid and unconstitutional orders. The Obama administration has been very effective at dismantling the US military in this regard.

You hit on a couple of the key points there reeltime. The number of crossbow hunters will not be as small if these bills pass, allowing more younger hunters access. The full-inclusion part will let them out there at the start of the season, BEFORE the deer go nocturnal. The deck was stacked against the crossbow these first two seasons. Thanks stoneame2006 for answering Robs questions far more eloquently than I could have.

The reason the two week antlerless only season failed miserably in those zones is because it was limited to conventional archery tackle and that is the least effective legal means for controlling antlerless deer. It can be very effective for killing bucks, which usually travel alone, meaning all you have to do is wait until his head is behind a tree to make the draw. It is a different story with does however, as they almost always travel in groups in these overpopulated zones, making that draw a difficult proposition at best. A drawn crossbow can be very slowly positioned for the shot, not alarming any in the group. That, and being able to use it at the very start of the season changes the dynamics of the situation completely. I actually feel a bit sorry for the antlerless deer this coming season, if these bills pass. They will never know what hits them, probably bringing populations under control in a single year. To reduce the populations significantly, the mature breeder does must be targeted (the last deer taken by wolves per the laws of nature). Once the DEC gets a handle on populations they can keep them where they want them by the number of DMP's they issue the following season. Full inclusion of the crossbow seems to me to be the best way to help them get that handle. Thankfully, it finally sounds like we will find out this year.

I would bet it will help more than you thinkSent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

You are free to post the conservative view point if you wish. I will note here that Scalia ruled against their premise that the gov't can not own land and the Supreme Court has done so going back nearly 100 years. But I'd like to read about your point of view. For now I not only think these people are not patriots but are also terrorists.

Live web cam feeds? You know where this will end up..........

exaclty right! I hunt 4W & 4R, no overabundance up there...

Saw this today. It sums up the current complaints about the appointment process perfectly. "If judges confined themselves to acting like judges, instead of legislating from the bench, creating new 'rights' out of thin air that are nowhere to be found in the Constitution, maybe Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees would not be such bitter and ugly ideological battles. Chief Justice Roberts himself practically repealed the 10th Amendment's limitation on federal power when he wrote the decision that the government could order us all to buy ObamaCare insurance policies. When judges act like whores, they can hardly expect to be treated like nuns. Politicians, journalists and judges should all spare us pious hypocrisy." Thomas Sowell

Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday!!!! Thanks for an awesome site! Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Happy birthday John!

I know what I'm doing Sunday!!

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Brush a bit of olive oil on each side so the burgers don't stick to the grill .

I felt kinda bad about it, but I'm sure it will happen again. Thankfully, my cousin was really understanding about the whole thing. I'm in the same boat with my bowkill from last fall...I decided to remount him on a different cape. The mount looks much better bow but it's not the deer that I killed.

didn't the two week antlerless only bow season in some parts of NY already fail miserably the first year it was imposed?

we never use an egg. No pork added to our ground either. They never turn out dry. Dang, now I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow night.

Mama and daughter went to the Broadway market at o'dark thirty yesterday. Polish sausage , rye bead from there. Some frozen rice thingy and of course Webers mustard to dip sausage in. Polish cheesecake for dessert

Wrapped in foil and towels resting in the cooler for a couple. Will update with pics when sliced. I put it on at 11pm so figure midnight due to DST. It hit a hard stall around 6, I shoulda Texas Crutched it earlier but went back to bed. So it took a bit longer. The temp probe slid in like butter when I pulled em. I'm excited and waiting now' Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk