Doc

It's a piggy.

We do tend to demand an awful large say in what the goals, attitudes, and motives of other hunters are, don't we? We want to tell others why they should be hunting, what kind of animals they should be taking, how big, how old, what gender... We also want to tell them what they must feel about the animals that they take, what ones should go on the wall, or even if any should be displayed at all. So, we have assigned names to the different styles and attitudes of hunters. There are those who despise the "trophy hunters" who tend to be a bit arrogant and judgmental. And we have assigned the term "meat hunters" to those who forsake antlers and are simply out there like going to the grocery store to bring home some meat. They too have been accused of arrogance and judgementalism. Each camp seems to view the other as some kind of inferior. It's funny how it all works. There doesn't seem to be a lot of room left for the rest of us who appreciate a good rack, but will cash in on opportunities for a bit of meat gathering as well without a whole lot of strings attached.

Yes, that is one thing that has not really been talked about all that much. The conflict between the sanctity of private property ownership rights, and the fact that the transient property (deer) that wanders from one owner's property to another also has to be managed. That is a management task that is unlike anything that other government agencies are challenged with. I think when you look at how the DEC has to juggle those two conflicting tasks and the fact that so much of that is completely out of their control, perhaps they really are not doing that bad of a job.

So, you guys went off spending the kids inheritance eh? I'm working on that myself ..... lol. So does guinea pig taste like chicken? Is that country as tough to get around as it looks?

I have been watching this campaign and noted how frequently people have declared Trump an absolute joke, and loser, and impossible to elect. And then I see that he continues his march of success past all the nay-sayers not just by little margins, but by commanding victories. And it's not in just little regional struggles, but universally across the nation. So, I wouldn't be too quick to write this guy off. He is tapping into a frustration that is nationwide and has been festering for decades. Like myself, people are starting to look at their politics and looking for a departure from business-as-usual government that promises cradle to grave benevolence. That was tried in Russia and as predicted, it imploded. And that is the engine that runs the Trump phenomenon. I don't think it can be stopped, and I don't think it should be stopped. I see where the libs are taking us, and I think there really is a silent majority that sees it also. I think we are all finally tired of being silent.

Oh now there's a comforting thought. Picture that ...... a rabid bobcat. He would have your face removed in 0.75 secs.....lol. Next fall when you are walking to your bowhunting stand in the pitched dark, let that thought rumble around in your mind when you hear a twig snap. A drooling, slobbering, rabid bobcat coming up behind you in the dark and all you have is your bow and some arrows.

Well, good luck to all of you. I am not a turkey hunter anymore. This time of year I have more on my plate to do than I'll ever be able to accomplish as it is. But for all of you that are into hunting the turkey-birds, I want to wish you all luck. And by the way the military gave out wonderful things called ponchos that have to be available at some surplus military store somewhere. They will keep you adequately dry-ish. Even in a downpour you should be able to keep things manageable. Go git them critters!

I can't say that I have any longing for the "good ol' days" when it comes to autos. I remember when a car that had 100,000 miles on it was a noteworthy miracle. I remember my Dad having to park at the top of a hill in the winter and hoping that the family car started by the time it hit the bottom when he popped the clutch. I will say that driving was a challenge and a lot of luck. So auto technology has brought us a long way in terms of reliability. Today, I don't even think about whether any of my cars will start when I get into them. It wasn't always that way. And I will say that I would absolutely love to get into my "transport pod", type in or voice command my destination, and sit back and read the paper or catch a few winks. For me cars have always been simply a necessary means to get from point A to point B and absolutely nothing more. I have no romantic love affair with them or with piloting them around. It pretty much is a necessary pain in the neck.

I always thought the system would be operated by a sensor strip buried in the macadam or concrete pavement.

I can be as harsh a critic of the DEC as anybody, but even I have to recognize what a difficult job it must be to take on some of the major problems that have developed over the years. Just looking at the diversity of conditions, habitat, culture, and populations kind of points up the difficulty factor. And then consider that the majority of NYS that the DEC is responsible for is privately held properties that they have no direct management of. Lately, I tend to soft-pedal my criticisms quite a bit. The only thing that still can get to me is the arrogant attitudes of infallibility that comes out at most of these kinds of communications to the public. When you listen to their presentations, they seem to be selling the fact that they have everything under control, and it is only the stupid sportsmen who are too ignorant to understand how perfectly they are able to manage all things concerning the environment. Sometimes I think they would get a whole lot more support if they would drop the arrogance and admit that they don't really have everything under control and likely never will have that capability. Anyway, I will once again listen to their story and try to sift through what has a high likelihood of being fact vs. what is wishful thinking.

Now here is a guy that knows a bit of something about living life and getting the most out of it.

We have basically had drought conditions for quite a stretch now, and I believe it has kept those critters down quite a bit. However, now we have started to get some rain and we'll have to see how that effects the bug population. But so far - so good.

I have no idea how it would handle all the variables of negotiating the heavy snows (some of which should not be attempted by any kind of ground-traction vehicle). But I think it is a great idea. I spent a lot of decades commuting around 40 miles (each-way) in all kinds of weather, and in the company of all kinds of idiots stalking the roads, and the romantic aspects of driving left me a long time ago. I would have been very happy to have reliable technology take over that aspect of my life. I would have had a couple more hours of sleep every day so I could have stayed awake longer at home and actually got something useful done instead of babysitting and piloting a pile of steel-on-wheels through the countryside.

So what are the effects on the hunting when you have a fire like that go through? I would imagine that in the long run it would be super-beneficial because of additional sunlight for nutritious understory re-development, and the chemical benefits to the ground nutrients for plant-life growth. But how long does it take to get over the initial trauma to the local animal populations?

I'll try the matrix metering. I think I have tried everything that I can as far as post-processing with photo software. It's a tough deal because it is those intense contrasts that catches my eye in he first place. The super-shadowed forest with the rays of intense sunlight streaking through makes a pretty dramatic and powerful backdrop for a deer picture or something of that sort. Example taken years ago, with some pretty primitive equipment and then wrecked even further because it is a conversion from slide to digital ...... but shows the general idea of the kind of wrestling match I am frequently having with lighting:

One of the more challenging areas where I do some picture taking is in a huge ravine area of dense heavy old-growth style hemlock woods that is very dark and shaded with many spots of intense sunlight streaming down through, burning out the areas of the picture where the sun is hitting. Anybody find any cures for these violent contrasts in lighting? There is a lot of great landscape subjects and wild critters in that area.

Just set it out by the road. If your area is anything like mine, it will be gone in a couple hours.

So, what is a Snirt Run?

Actually, I would like to see a few pictures of the cabin/camp. I love seeing these places. Obviously the deer hunting is rather good. That is quite a long drive. What part of the state is your camp located at?

See, I knew you had a reading comprehension problem. There was nothing in my comment that said anything about crossbows was there? Oh, you wouldn't know because the reply was over 4 sentences long and you couldn't handle it. But at least now it comes out why you tried to fabricate controversy. You are carrying some grudge over my position on crossbows and decided to arbitrarily make up something....lol. At least have the honesty and courage to prepare something truthful rather than trying to hide your grudge in some bogus comment about something you wish that I had said. Oh and by the way, I really don't care whether you like my posts or not. They are not written for those that have reading difficulties. If you don't like them, don't read them. It really is that simple.

Yeah, at organized shoots you do have rules to deal with.

Or it might be indicative of a reading comprehension problem. Actually I think it has more to do with trying to create controversy where there clearly was none. A little bored are we? ....... lol.

Making more grass to mow:

Well, I guess I am left out of this part of the election process. Being registered Conservative, I am not eligible to participate.

Once a week, I get an opportunity to ride around in circles in total relaxation, relieving stress, all by myself solving all the worlds problems. It is a bit therapeutic ..... lol. Of course, on occasion, that zero-turn mower can be a bit of a carnival ride. The thing is actually fun to bomb around in, seeing how fast I can zip around the trees and other obstacles. I'm getting pretty good. I haven't taken out a shrub in a couple of years.....lol.