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So. I'll try and keep my venting and excitement to a minimum ( if that makes sense). This has been a very tough year for me, moved to a new house and lost my backyard 100 acre honeyhole, Lost permission on the 400+acre farm close to me, found fresh shot shells beneath my treestand in the only spot I had close by the house, hour ride to the camp every couple days mainly because I've been trying to get my dad on any deer and its the only spot he can go, he was in a bad car wreck and can't walk but was given a non ambulatory / hunt from the atv or truck liscense but I've got to unpack and unload him and get him in a spot which is stressful for multiple reasons ( mainly he can't get to where the deer are) on top of the new house honey do list, a 2 year old and a 4 month old... Etc etc.. Don't get me wrong, I am greatful to have what I do, but for the past 6 years I had primo ground in my back yard. Now for the good part. Went to camp for a morning hunt, about 9am dad calls and says guys pulling up the driveway. It was his partner on our land. They only do drives so I figured it can't hurt since they too wanted my dad to get a deer. Well, they pushed deer by everybody but my dad. 1 doe killed. So I figured we could give a friend of mines a try. Big open field with hay bails in the middle. Sent dad up with the Wheeler and I trekked yo he other side of the hill. We never deer hunted here before so I had the hard part of finding a spot. Now it's about 330 and I make the peak. Oddly enough I found a stand! Hopped in and had this guy and a couple does come out within a half hour... Rest is history! Keep the faith guys!!!

Finally after an absolutely stressful season full of problems I put this big bodied 8pt on the ground. Catt county ridge runner And I got some blood on the new rig!!!

Or kinda like using a condom...Not quite the same, but less complications..

They ended up killing the gator. Poor gator was doing a better job taking care of business than our legal system.

My approach must have been good and quiet, I'm surrounded by turkeys. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got a late start this morning and never got on stand until around 7:25am, legal shooting time was coming fast! It seemed like I was there longer but the time of my cell phone pics says 8:25am and it only took 5-7 minutes to reload, climb down and waddle the 70 yards or so to the buck. He came in with a doe and was trailing her. Momentarily I considered shooting her as I figured the shadowy figure in back was going to be her fawn and they SHOULD have got my scent any second. She flicked her tail a few times and continued to head towards the little creek. Then she jumped across the creek and headed up the other side. I had just noticed the horns on the second deer and figured; don't blow it, take your time. He took two steps up the bank and stepped into my window, BANG and down he went. Nary a twitch................ I used my NULA smokeless ML with Parker 275gr BE bullets. I killed him out of the same stand I shot the archery buck from. I could tell he wasn't the same size body as the other buck so didn't call for dragging help but wished I would have! He only weighed 130# but the drag is mostly uphill. Got him home, weighed, hung and skinned. I'll get cutting tomorrow AFTER I take my sweetie pie for brunch.

$69.99 at Fathead.com

I dont know about that turkeyfeathers, I spotted quite a few deer on Sunday during mid day. Shot a nice doe that was munching on turnips in one of our food plots at noon, and it was 50+ degrees out. I like the cold weather because I dont have to do a rush cut and quarter job. Plus it just feels more deery out there.

I have never liked the feel of savages and I HATE the accutriggers and what ever ruger calls their copy of it. I have 2 ruger Americans and they are shooters for sure. Remington has undoubtedly let their quality slip. For the price of the remington you could get a Tikka t3 and in my opinion Its the best rifle in that price range and better than many that are more expensive.

LoL, i was born missing half my left arm, so it is very cool to see such a deer! Congrats on a unique deer, i screenshot the deer pic, because I can relate. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My opening day double. Took these two out of 9 does that walked out into our food plot at 8am. Let my son track the big doe 150 yards to where she piled up in the brush.

https://www.facebook.com/newyorktrailcameras/ Giving away a cam for a lucky youth. If you are the FB type, jump on and submit your kid or pass along to a kid who knows. Only a handful of entries thus far and girls are making quite the showing.

Uuugggg...takes for ever to find stuff...get ppls ideas, and then you get notices things won't arrive until January when you ordered in Nov.!!! Please tell me who makes a wish list with 25 items on it and one person buys absolutely everything on the dang list!!! Now I'm trying to cancel what I ordered and may not be able to.. Holidays are suppose to be enjoyable..Well my foot just hit the floor and everyone got put on notice... No gifts for anyone but the grandson period next Christmas...Good food, relaxing time, games, a Christmas movie, and some drinks...Just being thankful we all made it through the year safe,sound, healthy and together...

I'm not complaining about the weather......I'll be out there.

That's because there are so many deer running around, that people are flock shooting. Like when there's a bunch of ducks coming in, & you get so excited that you just point & shoot, not killing any.

Yeah ….its gotten to the point where the hard core leftist politicians and media, are just saying and doing what ever they want and flipping us the bird when we call them on it. They have a warehouse full of Race/hater cards and they write the definitions of what is racist and hate. More and more people are calling B.S. on them tho...

I've had decent luck at some local watering holes with cougars coming in for a drink

I personally wouldn't be afraid to buy any of the guns you list. I would have said the Ruger American would be my last choice but a friend of mine purchased one last year in 30-06 and I was really impressed with the way it shot, especially for the coin. I would go with the one that feels the best to you in your hands.

Nice bunny for the freezer They are so easy to clean.

Ive always been a real tree kinda guy, but I think this is gonna be the last year for it. I just honestly dont care if its real or fake anymore, and Im tired of cleaning up the mess each year and always having pine needles in the house for eternity. I never can seem to get rid of them all. The day after Christmas this year, I plan to go buy a nice prelit fake tree when they are on 60% off sales.

From Mr VJP's post above, Thomas' point that "the public might feel safer..." gets to the heart of this slippery slope. Many people today, particularly of the younger generation, would 'feel safer' if the First amendment were restricted as well. And the Fourth certainly comes into play when LE is given free reign in it's pursuit of 'protecting' us. The people who advocate for these kinds of restrictions, or in some cases rewriting or outright abolishment of the Constitution, strike me as very insecure. The Federal government is not your Mommy.

Im ready to get a vinyl decal that just sticks on the wall .

. My question is; at what point is it OK to get one of those fold-up. pre-lit and non-removable installed ornaments? Thanks in advance for the favor of a reply. At the point where your wife doesn't make your life a living hell over it. I still have to hike into the field, cut down a tree, drag it out like a deer, get it home and level it with a chain saw, drag it in the house, get it to stand straight in the tree stand, trim the top and then clean up all the mess, all while the wife watches and criticizes my every move. When my kids were little it was fun. Now they couldn't car less. The wife has been asking about getting a tree for a week now and Im freaking dodging her!!!!…..

Taken in 9p around 8:45 am at 118 yards with a Browning x-bolt .270. The top of the heart was sheerd off and she dropped in her tracks. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Opening morning 8pt. Was chasing does behind some blowdowns before he followed one out about 120yrds heading toward the swamp. This was a buck I had never had on camera until i checked them that day he was on both from the week prior.

Opening morning 6 pointer, shot around 7:20. Otsego county. Like a twin to the buck i got with the crossbow couple weeks earlier.

I was fortunate enough to take this double drop tine 7 pointer on Nov. 23. Shot him at 7:23 on my place in Delaware county.

My first with a rifle. Savage Axis 7mm-08 Nosler BT. Been real slow this season in my area of 4 H. Very happy to take him today! 8pt. 189 dressed.

I will hereafter be known as a "Saltine American". That 'cracker' crap is wearin' thin, even for me.

Many people have said we should limit rights on other threads, as well as in the media. It's the mantra of the Left, but they try to label it as "common sense". Why you think I'm saying "do nothing" is puzzling. I'm saying what we need to do isn't a quick and simple fix. I'm sorry if you hope there is an easy way to resolve these issues, like ban all guns. Try to imagine, with an open mind, how that will only make things much worse. For example, your kids should be protected by armed security everywhere these days. Schools, theaters, churches, parks, etc. But the Left shouts that down as crazy and paranoid. Why aren't you shouting back at them that it's not? This situation has been coming for a long time. The warnings have been there for years. It's not about guns. It's about a multitude of things like: people's lack of respect for human life, low values, lack of morals, crack pot child rearing, drugged up kids (both legal and illegal), crazy child psychologists, illegal immigration, big government, buying votes, political power struggles, allowing terrorists into this land, and on and on. I don't know why people think it's a surprise our society has devolved to where it is, when we have been encouraging it's demise for decades with unadulterated permissiveness in every regard. Warnings have been preached for decades about the country winding up where it is, but those warnings were mocked and cast aside as delusional and paranoid. Well, they weren't. How do we fix it? The same way we broke it. One issue at a time. And we decide on the right path based on where it takes us. If it improves the country as a whole and enhances the safety and quality of life, we do it. If it doesn't, we don't. Political correctness needs to be the first thing done away with. It's going to take as many decades to reverse the damage as it did to do the damage. People always want instant solutions to problems that took decades to create. I'm sorry to say it doesn't work that way. Better buckle up and get ready for a long, difficult solution situation. Even when we know where we went wrong, there will be plenty of people who resist the corrections needed and will continue to demand change continue on it's mentally deranged course. The problems we are dealing with today, will get much worse before the idiots who supported them are finally silenced for good. And that will only happen when people start to demand real common sense.

^the DEC releases those cougars to control your numbers

If they want to be in that field you can get away with a few hundred. If your running traffic keep buying until you've lost your wife, children and home. Then they might decoy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I was a teenager, I worked for a bear guide in Maine, 3 summers in a row. I'd go up in late July to help get stands ready, trim trails / shooting lanes, & bait the stands. At the end of the summer, He'd let me hunt the first week for free. I killed 2 bears at his place. He's dead now, but those are some great memories. I learned a lot from him. He would cringe every time someone showed up with a gun like a 243, 308, 300, etc. He said that shooting the faster calibers, that have lighter bullets, didn't work well at the ranges you shoot over bait. He said a lot of bears were lost by guys shooting 30yds with a 300. He didn't think the bullets really expanded at such close distances. He wasn't a fan of archery either, a lot of bears were lost that way, too. He said you're paying a lot of $ to shoot a bear, so why lower your chances at all? They don't always offer a bow shot, & it would suck to come away empty handed, when a gun would've made the difference. I can vouch for seeing some bears lost, over my years with him. Of course, it could've just been poor shot placement. Of the bears I saw lost, the hunter was always shooting one of the faster, flatter shooting rifles, usually a 30 cal. The blood trails were poor, & dried up quickly. I never saw anyone show up with a 243, & I'm sure he wouldn't have allowed it. Maybe it was coincidence, but I didn't see any bears lost by the guys who shot them with a 444, 45-70, 44 mag, 20ga, etc. Harold would always try to convince hunters to show up with a 40 cal, or a shotgun. He loved the guns that threw a big hunk of lead. Both of my bears were shot at around 35yds, & both died within sight of me. I used a 444 on one, & a 458win on the other. Personally, I would stay away from archery tackle for such a young guy. Bears are put together funny inside, the vitals sit a little lower than a deer, & there's a helluva big leg bone in there. Not sure how big your boy is, but if it were me, I'd try to get him shooting a 20ga or 44. I'm not claiming to be an expert, just going off of what I saw.

I know I already said 7mm-08 but I would also add 44mag my daughter is 8 and doesn't really like shooting her 7mm-08 and I changed the stock on my Cva 44mag for and put her compact stock on it and she loves shooting it. Hunting bait there won't be any long shots and a 44mag out of a rifle would be plenty to kill a bear out to 100yds

You have my address ?

I generally do a gift crate filled with wine, crackers, cheese, and various venison goodies (slim jims, summer sausage, trail bologna). Still costs some money but haven't heard any complaints.

Except for the Mrs. and grandchildren, everyone gets maple syrup for Christmas.

its Dec 9th, thats the difference

For what its worth, I got a Ruger American a few months back, and it is a great rifle. Light, great trigger and very accurate. I know a few guys, who also have them and they all are very happy with the American.

Can't remember the last time we went an entire deer season with no snow at all. The coldest morning sit this year was in the high teens. And to be honest, I kinda liked it!

Same temps as bow... what's the difference..

I enjoy using all of toys.. This year , as usual, I have carried my 7mm08 most of the time, and have shot 2 deer with her..She is just such a SWEET THANG to carry in the deer woods.. However, I also took my M1 Garand out a couple of days, and my 9.3 x 62 a couple of days, but got no shooting with either of them.. JUST TO BE FAIR, I think I'll hunt with my trusty old M 70 .280 rem for the rest of rifle season. I haven't shot a deer with it since my CO mule deer hunt last year.. I think I have heard her whining from the gun safe, wanting to go hunting... She just keeps saying " Take ME, Clarkie.... You KNOW you love me...." And I just happen to have a box of 140 grain TTSX reloads left over from my Colorado hunt last year...

Venison tacos. First plate of many

Get a Chia Pet, water and your done!!

Having a fake tree is sort of like watching the yule log burn on the tv. Not quite the same as a real fire.

First you need a trap door from living room to basement to hoist up " already decorated fake tree "

Shot this Saturday evening. 150 yards with a .257 Weatherby.

my dad filled his buck tag @ camp in 8P @ 8:30am, 12/5/15, only deer seen that morning.. the buck was cruising nose down, after letting many deer walk this year..he chose him to be tag worthy. he thought he was bigger than what he was when he shot, it happened so fast, he almost regretted shooting him, it took a few minutes and then dad became very happy with his decision .. he will be on the wall from the shoulder up! .. My dads age is starting to catch up with his abilities like he used to.. 1 proud son right here.

11/28/15. 8 pt. Erie county. Snuck in to about 15 yards. Heart shot with the 16 gauge.

Dec.3..This mornings hunt I had plans to hunt doe and I knew I had to beat them to the blind area.. Didn't work out so well for by 5:30 everyone was either there or on the way, when I pushed them walking down the road...I was snorted at just as I reached the blind so the last steps I used the grunt tube then took a stick and beat a bush at the bottom of the ladder before climbing...I glassed a doe in the laneway feeding my way at about 7am ...I watched her as she headed my way very slowly.....Oh man 22 mins please please please..nope 7:10 she moves into the slashings behind my blind and heads up hill... Now you have to understand doe are harder to hunt than buck here...always have been and I was mad.Next thing I know I see what I thought was the neighbors dog, I about flipped until I glassed it and it was a nice sized yote...Hhhmmm snorted at, pushed deer,doe left,and not seeing many turkeys..This hunt was ruined.... I draw down on him about 80 yrds Bang!.miss and he's now running at me for he has the fence on one side and brush piles on the slashing side...bang! I see the slug hit just past him WTH! am I blind ! He stopped at the last shot and I shoot one more time and think I clipped his foot he was close and I was trying not to shoot over him.....Off he goes running funny into the neighbors swamp after rounding my fence.. Talk about feeling down 3 misses in a row! I'm sitting there beating my self up and now it's 7:25 and I see deer...Well those shots were like some sort of call because there are deer at the end of the lane way and filing out of the swamp across the fence...I glass and all 8 are fawns!...I just laughed and grabbed my apple to eat, when I look up.....Here comes the buck charging out of the swamp...I can't tell how long the tines are because he's close to my fence and it's now snowing pretty good...I grab my gun and get ready...he jumps the fence and before he barely touches the ground half way across the laneway,he lunges into the saplings and stops...I reposition in another window not even looking at him...The slashings are so thick and hes around 70 yrds out...I settled on a small brown patch on a trail I'd cleared this fall it was my only shot and then he broke.... the second he hit that trail I squeezed off the shot and he never kicked just went on a full stretched out run...I never even followed him the trees were so thick and I was sure I had missed yet again...about the time those thoughts raced through my mind I heard the crash!...glassed out the back blind window to see white belly...Mind you my Browning only holds 4 3" shells and I had forgotten (in my frustration) to reload...So I literally had just one shot....Now this one I could handle...unlike the bow buck......... he hung on the scale at 105...and has very little smell...so I'm sure will taste great!