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We all are individuals, and we all hunt for different reasons and have different goals. So if someone wants to let five yearling bucks pass, to perhaps shoot a mature eight or ten point buck, last day of the season. That should be their choice. If someone else, wants to go out on opening morning and shoot the first legal buck that comes along. That should be their choice. I buy the tag. I don't need someone to tell me what to shoot.

Tonight is venison tenderloins, back straps, broccoli, baby reds and a salad. Pretty standard fare huh? Well guess what, it's not about what's for dinner tonight, it's who's coming for dinner!! Last night when my wife was working I called our daughter and asked her to come for supper tonight. She said ok but don't tell mom, I want to surprise her. She's here!!!!!!!!

The time to "get your panties in a bunch" over a proposed laws is while it IS STILL PROPOSED.. Not once it is passed.

My commitment to killing a buck this year with my longbow has sparked a new interest. I know have a Flintlock on the way. If I can get it shooting acceptably I will use it for the entire season "excluding crappy weather." I am having so much fun with the longbow and can't wait to stick a wood chicken with it in a couple months that I think the Flintlock will add to the fun of the regular season and muzzleloader season. Anyone on here have any advice on where to start with the flintlock? It's a 50cal left hand Lyman deerstalker, the carbine of flintlocks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pizza last night, Alfredo sauce, shrooms, black olives, chicken, and I added some venison pepper stick instead of pepperoni.

All I could come up with yesterday....

Worked 12 hours today and no breakfast , lunch nor dinner til now. Chimichanga 's with homemade chorizo , beans etc. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As the title says this is just a theory. I read a lot about deer hunting through the entire year and love to learn as much as I can. Some of my opinions vary greatly from the accepted rules though. For one, I'd rather still hunt than hunt from a stand. Once a buck knows your stand location he can avoid it. As a still hunter you can adapt to how a deer reacts to your presence and use that to your advantage. I hear a lot of people say that once a buck has been bumped, he probably won't return. I feel the exact opposite. If he used the terrain and area to elude hunters before he can do it again and will feel more comfortable in an area he knows. As a hunter if you can figure out how he eluded you it can be used to your advantage in the future. Another thing I hear a lot is that big bucks are gone at the first sign of human presence. What if they're actually bigger risk takers than younger deer and actually allow the threat to approach and walk by instead of running and giving up their position? I've read several studies where radio collared deer have actually hunkered right down and allowed hunters to walk within yards of them and not taken off. The hunters had no clue the deer was even there. I've never killed any "trophy" deer with these methods but I have taken some deer that were trophies in my eyes. Sometimes I just like to go against the grain of commonly accepted knowledge.

I pulled this pic from my trail cam today. Not a good day for the squirrel.

But that is the thing - some of those no buck zones are in this bill some are not - bet dollars that this was because the author was simply uneducated. I highly doubt the DEC has data drilled down enough to allow this bill to be factually based - especially because the whole no buck thing was dropped like a hot potato across all of those zones - if it were in some but not others, then I'd be open to believing the DEC has that level of data. It much more likely was hastily written.

You can print online but all the fish you catch are only photocopies too. [emoji2] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you have one spot, and your neighbor is killing every yearling buck (legally), that's really on you. Not him. We do not hunt a parcel that is larger than 70 acres, and no single parcel has more than 25 acres of timber/cover. Not every place we hunt has what we're looking for each year. Putting all of your eggs in one basket isn't your neighbor's fault.

No ill take goose over merganser any time

For about 20 something years I would always travel to NY and turkey hunt the hills around Canasteo and Jasper. I have buddies that have camps right outside of Canasteo and on the South Side of Jasper. I love that country but have gotten too old to climb those hills. They would come to SC and spend a week in April and I would spend a week with them at their camp. Camp outside of Canasteo was round and bordered some state land of both sides. The camp on the other side of Jasper was on the left behind a nice big pond and next to a rifle range. Log Cabin and nice. Sure do miss those days with good friends..........We had a limit of five and one Friend killed his 1st bird in the SC Low Country and one killed 5 mature gobblers in his one week visit. What a time we had!!!!!

Most times the older you get in hunting you opt out for bigger deer and not little deer or killing higher numbers of deer. That all came in the younger years. Todays world screams for bigger higher scoring deer and most are willing to do..and pay what it takes to get to that point.

I looked over some green fields this past Sat and found one from a year or two ago. Half plowed under. I've had a good shed season so far but not sure how much more I'll get out. I have some stand work to do next, as well as a few projects I'll be starting, and spring fishing looks to come early this year too.

I'm in the same predicament. The only thing you gotta watch out for is a long enough warm spell that allows the seeds to germinate and start seedlings only to be hit with a few days of hard cold that may stunt the seedlings or kill them completely. Clover is pretty resilient though so it should make it through fairly well. Looking at the weather right now I'm thinking of getting a few bags spread later this week. Looks like a couple warm days with a bit of rain to help pound the seed in before birds get to it and then a few cold days next week to keep them from germinating too early. Hoping it works!

AR has been beneficial here in Pennsylvania. But we're not NY. The result over the past ten years regarding buck harvest is: 50% plus of the harvest consist of 2.5 year old or older bucks with less than 50% consisting of 1.5 year old bucks. Before AR, there was a serious overharvest of 1.5 year old bucks at around 80% of the harvest and we killed an estimated 80% or more of all available bucks. We had a serious lack of age structure in our herd. Herd reduction and AR have combined to create closer buck to doe ratios and better age structure in the herd. Healthier deer. Trust me it's been a hot button debate since the beginning but its been more about herd reduction than AR. Hunters weren't seeing as many deer so complaints were pretty high. AR is well accepted here but ours is (3) points to one side for most of the state and (4) to a side in the western part of the state where bucks tend to grow larger, more points at earlier age. I understand NY is much different in regards to winter loss so I really have no idea what effect it would have on your herd. Just trying to pass along info. from a neighboring state that has AR in place.

Some kind of a bug (Flu ?) body aches with hot and cold spells . My advil cold and sinus kicked in ,stuff has been a life saver.

I love shooting geese, can't get enough of it. I breast them out and when I have a good amount I have them made into smokies or sometimes summer sausage

They could but they'd be lying. They sure are fun to shoot though!

No need for it - education is clearly working. Look at the harvest trends for the past 10 years.

I just picked up an Ozark Trail tumbler and it works pretty darn good so far. I too like the Yeti owners - but I don't own one of their products. My wife has zero desire to let me buy one and she knows what they are and how much their coolers cost, so I'd be in trouble if it just appeared.

Had to make some more venison bites! Turkeyfeathers I think you created a monster! I've been making these every week, venison or turkey both are great.

I haven't read all the responses so I don't know if it's been said but one of the biggest things about killing a mature buck is Capitalizing! There are a lot more story's about seeing a mature buck than there are about killing them. You won't get many chances so you better have you crap together when you do. I see some are saying time in the woods and I somewhat agree but time in the woods is a lot like practice. Everyone always says you have to practice more, well there is such a thing as bad practice just as there is wasting time in the woods. If you only have "X" amount of days to hunt pick them wisely. When I was in the service I usually had about 7 days to take off for hunting season other than the 3 years I was deployed out of the 5 years I was able to come up for season I killed 3 mature Adirondack bucks and one in New Hampshire "there wasn't the conditions I wanted in NY so went where they had snow." Back then I wasn't hunting a deer I was hunting conditions. All 3 of those ADK bucks came from different counties. If you're serious about consistently killing mature bucks you can't have a "spot" you have to be mobile and willing to find them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks everyone. Took a quick walk in the woods to see if I could find a birthday shed. Found a bunch of bucks still packing and this dead one with half rack still present. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've gone through several $150 grills in the last 10-15 years, all pieces of crap. I now have a Weber Genesis and love it. i got it used 9 years old for free, put in $80 for parts and gave it a good cleaning. I was told I could get the burners replaced for free as Weber guarantees them for 10 years. I didn't bother as they are in fine condition. Really well built compared to the made in china grills.

Beer of the month club arrived the other day ! Eye of the Hawk , Mendocino Brewing Co. oh and some artwork , a butterfly made up of only butterfly wings .

I had a cheapo Value model for the last few years now and it's time for a new one as well. Getting a Weber, either the E210 or the E310? This should serve me very well for the long haul

If hunter numbers fall because of access - the problem becomes MUCH less about AR and more about population control. Let's face it AR is a nice to have, not a need to have tool, even for those who support it. At the end of the day, the resource as defined by the DEC can be managed simply by issuing tags and season/implement dates - and that's what the DEC will focus on if population control becomes an issue. Don't believe me, we can all remember the no buck rule. That showed they will enact what they "believe" is right when they absolutely need to when it comes to population control - regardless of hunter input. That is why we'll end up with a MZ season in Sept or Oct in these same WMUs. Let's also not forget that changing hunter dynamics are in play - archery accounts for 23-24% of overall harvest nationwide, whereas 10 years ago it was ~15%. More urbanization = more bowhunting and more crossbow hunting.

If science were included, they would not have put in some overpopulation zones, left some out, and put in zones at 4 point where 3 point is much more likely effective. You put 4 a side in some of those zones - you know what this is mimicking? It's mimicking the first time PA did it and over-prescribed the 4 pt side and had to back down on the WMUs that had that level. That caused a TON of hunter frustration right out of the gate for them. There is little science involved in this bill. It's hastily written and is clearly "written" by a legislator whose team is uneducated. Remember the SAFE Act that didn't allow police to carry/arm certain firearms and they had to push through another clarification to it? That is exactly what this bill is - the former, not the latter.

I'll be sure to read up on it more. I haven't really spoken about it since first semester in college and for the last 3 years I've been taking mostly science classes. Both you and philoshop have brought up interesting points Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

i'm glad they have youth hunters exempt. they should also exempt older hunters too. many don't get around like they used to that'd better their odds at taking something over 1.5 yrs old. honestly it'd increase opportunity for buck harvest though. more bucks will be grown to a point worthy of pulling the trigger by most hunters. a vast majority of hunters would rather not shoot smaller sized bucks within the yearling age class. some do so anyway because they feel if they don't shoot it someone else will and the opportunity to shoot something bigger in their mind might not be there otherwise. something is better than nothing, so they settle.

don't hunt mature bucks unless you're going to go somewhere else to find them. rarely year after year can you hunt mature bucks in the same spot unless it's in an area with little hunting pressure or buck harvest. don't hunt hoping to be in a good spot. hunt with a plan and pay attention to details. whether it's scouting an urban location to find one and sitting on stand when puzzle pieces fall together or cutting a track that you know is a good one up north. you have to hunt what you know or have very good reason to believe is there and you have to go after it with a plan. all the little details from gear prep to being scent conscious are important because just one of them can lead to a botched opportunity at a mature buck and they don't come along often with every mature buck.

Was wondering why the mail lady always gave me strange looks

The thing with deer hunting is, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to do it, while staying within the legal guidelines, of course. Hunters find success using all sorts of different tactics and methods. And it's all good! When I was a bit younger, I did quite a bit of still hunting. And still do some now. In fact one of my biggest bucks was shot in his bed, during a snow storm in 1986, after cutting his track going into a hemlock thicket. I now try to 'predict' why, when, and where a buck will be at a given time, on a certain property. And slip in to wait for him, in a natural ground blind. Sometimes it even works out! Hunting should be enjoyable. So hunt they way you prefer. But always keep an open mind, for other possibilities, and be as adaptable as the deer we are hunting.

Well did you all cast your vote as to support or not to this bill?

No i think this will get interest because its not the brightest thing to do. I like the Ar spots i hunt down yonder but we sure dont need Ar up here i the North. Why is 8M not on the list or did i overlook it? Now if they would doing something that would work like cutting the season in half of taking guns out of the rut they may get something positive done.

Glad to hear your feeling better........Hang in there everyone we are almost there........

Flounder n yams Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is that boar high fence or free range? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

At least they are consistently inconsistent. AR is almost always associated with heavy/appropriate doe harvest. There's plenty more does than bucks in those overpopulation areas. But we'll leave the science out of making laws, right?

They omitted the "overpopulation" areas, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Four points a side, too, in many WMUs. Stupid is as stupid does.

I think the original definition of "sport" and "sportsman" encompassed any activity, other than work, done outside for pleasure and enjoyment. In regards to hunting, a guy in medieval England who killed a deer for the table was not a sportsman despite the effort, skill, and satisfaction involved, whereas a royal person hunting with the attendant helpers was. Even though the stag was also going to end up on the table it was hunting for its own sake. For a few centuries, hunting was referred to as the Sport of Kings, so sportsmen, in this sense, could only be the upper or leisure class. In fact, you might be able to make an argument that sport only applied to hunting and fishing as there were no team games as we know them today. Times change and a new middle class develops with the time and money to pursue the upper-class sports. They become sportsmen (and women) in the true sense of the word - hunters and anglers pursuing game for the sake of the hunt. Fast forward to today where "sport" has come to mean "game" (or team game), competition, and oneupmanship and the original or pure definition is now the archaic one. So maybe this is less a question of action - tracking and killing an animal; and one of intent - why do you track and kill an animal? Put another way, can two hunters go out on the same track to pursue the same animal and because of a different intention, one be a sportsman and one not?

Biz, lots of activities require skills that I wouldn't consider sports. When I see LeBron dunking a basketball with a stogie in his mouth, I will have to revise MY definition of a sport. And yes, being a reformed golfer, it does take practice and skill, both of which passed me by when I no longer had 10-15 hours per week to devote to golf. I am now a 2x/year scramble hacker with the occasional brilliant shot. lol

Schools are a germ magnet! Glad your both OK!!!

Don't kill the messenger. I only know this as wife was watching and I was trying to reclaim tv to watch The Walking Dead on dvr I apparently did see one movie nominated though lol. It was about 2 brothers robbing banks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No clear answer, people on here will argue anything lol

You seem to forget that it was the Republican Party that ended slavery in the US. And that fought against the racism of the Jim Crow era. And that fought against LBJ's ideas of 'voter plantations', (which have worked, BTW). And that welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King into their party. Oh, and welcome back Uptown. I recognize you're writing style.

Hey Uptown, looks like you cant stay away, even after I banned you. Well, youre banned again pal. Buh bye now!