Doc

It is interesting that today we have the DEC setting up what appears to be a panicked situation from their inability to control deer numbers in select WMU's. It could be that we are seeing the early evidence of hunting not being up to the task of controlling deer numbers. Unprecedented and frantic regulations are being put in place for the first time that I can remember, as the DEC admits that some WMUs are no longer able to control deer numbers simply by issuing more permits.

And maybe after she finally has success, she will be frustrated because it wasn't a buck, or it wasn't a big enough buck. It really sounds like a case of too much expectation. There is a lot going on around us that tries to make hunting seem easy. Some of that is attributed to TV. I started at a time when it was expected that you would not get anything. That made the dry years seem much more tolerable. Maybe instead of putting her in the "next best" stand, you will have to let her put some time in the "best" stand. Somebody suggested some drives with her as the stander. That sounded like a pretty good idea to me too. But beware, like I said, when the expectations challenge reality, some times token successes may not be adequate. Be prepared for that.

I know the attitude today is that as long as hunting lasts as long as I do, the hell with anyone that comes after me. Unfortunately I can't adopt that attitude. Hunting, trapping and fishing has dominated my life, and forms quite a bit of what I am all about. I really do have an interest in what happens to hunting beyond me. And one of the first parts of solving problems is to admit that the problems exist. I think that was Lisenbee's purpose for writing the article. And that is what caught my attention and interest in it.

The answer is in Moog's last sentence. "Its up to the hunter to decide what level of risk they are comfortable with.". Nobody can give you a set number of yards. There are so many variables and conditions including individual mindsets and how concerned the bowhunter is about wounding losses. What is more important than a finite number is simply the recognition that deer usually are not shot at in target range conditions and do not always cooperate as nicely as pinned down paper targets while you stand alongside of a measured out stake. And also an acknowledgment that what you can do on a target range is not necessarily going to be what you can do in the woods on a deer. Also one has to be aware that accuracy and unexpected difficulties increase geometrically as the shooting distance increases. That's just the nature of a bow and arrow.

The weather forecast will be changing daily right up until opening day, and perhaps even during that day. I'm just worrying about how the weather affects my squirrel hunting for those first couple of doe-only weeks. The only forecast that I trust is when I stick my head outside in the morning.

Ha-ha .... The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence ...right? I have to say that where ever I find myself hunting, it is the best place in the world. I have been saying for a long time that a lot of hunters today are measuring their hunting enjoyment and success in inches of antler. And that's fine for them, but for me there is a whole lot more to my hunting than simply what an accident of nature happens to stick on a deer's head. Yeah, even I appreciate antlers, but that is not how I rate my deer hunting or how I rate where I happen to be hunting. Oh well, to each his own, I guess....lol.

During gun season, our house is turned into the hunting camp. All the comforts of home ..... lol. Friends and relatives gather at the house with a few spending the night. Early in the morning, it's out the basement door and up the killer-hill we go. Not as many as there was a decade or two ago. We don't last forever, and the new ones are not coming on-board like they used to.

Yeah, that's one of the times I get to go down to the Town Hall and get to chat with our town leaders and see what they are up to, and get all caught up on the town gossip and rumors ..... lol.

First two weeks of bow season is just an extension of squirrel season for me. I also will have a chance to get things caught up around the house. I'll be out there when I have a legal right to hunt all the deer.

There was a disturbing article in Sunday's Canandaigua Daily Messenger regarding some pretty significant trends in the hunter population - http://www.mpnnow.com/article/20150926/SPORTS/150929700/2000/NEWS The situation seems to be "hunters vs. anti-hunters", along with some social trends that don't bode well for the future of hunting, as well as wildlife management. Anyway, Len Lisenbee outdoor writer for the Canandaigua Daily messenger says it all far better than I ever could, so check out what he has to say on the subject.

That kind of says it all. It doesn't matter what kind of super archery equipment you are using or how well you can use it, that statement always remains true and never changes.

The drops from our trees don't last very long. And those blobs of sloppy deer crap kind of indicate that they are eating something pretty rich like apples .... lol.

The part of the story that is not being told here is how does the DEC use the info gleaned from these reports. If it is being used as a generalized idea of whether the population is trending significantly up or down, I see no problem. Perhaps it is used as just one more piece of evidence that helps to verify their statistical efforts at deer management. I have no problems with any attempts at verification. Probably not enough on-the-ground verification going on these days as they worship at the altar of statistics.....lol. But I hope they are not trying to go any farther with this kind of input than just examining rough trends.

I have done a bit of calculating on just how far a deer can move forward while an arrow is in the air with just a single step. Even with some exceptionally fast bows, the distance a deer can move from the time the release is triggered until the arrow gets there can convert a perfect shot into a gut-shot at some of the more moderate distances like 40, 50 or more yards. I used a deer walking speed of 3.5 - 4 mph for the speed of that single step (per "The Deer of North America" Leonard Lee Rue III… Page 40). Play with some of those numbers and amaze yourself. Yes, that stationary target pinned up on a bale at the target range never presents that possibility, and we never get to see those results on the target range. I'm not talking about jumping the string or any other kinds of sudden violent moves ..... I'm not talking about any deer response to being frightened. Just a casual single step forward to reach that next piece of browse, or continue on to wherever it was heading before it paused. I'm not trying to make any judgments, but just offering something to consider relative to this discussion. It gets interesting.

But he can be real thankful it didn't happen while he was using it. A week ago, I had to rebuild a ground-stand that had a rotten tree laying right where I usually put my folding stool. All the logs and cover that I had assembled there was all smashed. The fallen tree was about 2-1/2 feet in diameter.

With the gun, the trick unfortunately is that over the years observe and pattern the hunters, and use that info to figure out where they will push the deer. Then set up an intercept position at the most reliable escape routes or areas.

Great pics!

And of course I guess your scientific study based on 5 rifles represents some kind of version of documented credibility ...... ha-ha-ha.

Sometimes they are just silly goats that have an amazing sense of curiosity. Actually, they have a copy of NYS Conservation Law, and a calendar.

These tired old eyes don't have a prayer at long shots without some kind of optical assistance ..... lol. I used to be pretty darn deadly with a peep sight, but they have some limitations in light conditions that aren't ideal.

Believe me, that design is literally decades ahead of the one that we had hanging on the livingroom wall. That one didn't just ring, but you had to listen for your own unique code. Our ring was 4 long and 3 short rings. You pulled the ear-piece out of the cradle on the side and talked into the horn that stuck out the front of the box. And that was considered hi-tech. We still have an old black dial telephone wired into our land-line system. Had a great time laughing at my nephew trying to call his parents on it. He just stood there and stared at it not knowing where to even start....lol. "Stick your finger where and do what???"

I think the concern is justified. Any animal that is acting unusual should be avoided. Yes, from those two pictures he looks healthy enough, but rabies doesn't always have visible symptoms at first glance.

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that you are trading a bit of what you are calling "clutter" for an additional step in your shooting set-up. That's probably not something you want to be faced with when the deer is closing in on you. I think I would prefer to take that extra motion and time and activity out of my sighting process. I already have too long of a checklist of shooting procedures and things to think about. I would rather not have to set up my sight as well prior to executing the shot. The good news is that there is no between the pins guess-work. You set it for one distance and then where the pin is where the arrow is supposed to go. Different things are important to different people, and so it really becomes a personal choice based on preferences.

I'm a 20 yard and under guy. Yes, I have 30, 40 and 50 yard pins, but those are for paper. When I feel the need to test my archery skills, I have a target range for that. I used to love the 80 yard walk-up on the NFAA field archery, especially with the recurve. My bowhunting features hunting skills that measure how close I can get to a critter not how far away I am forced to settle for. That's where the excitement and challenge of bowhunting are for me. I have gun season and a rifle for the long-range meat gathering....lol.

Sure.....That stuff ranks right up there with all the other things that fall in the category of "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself". Yeah, my hearing is slipping a bit. Well, maybe more than just a bit .... lol. Some of it due to shooting, some of it due to loud music, and most of it due to who-the-hell-knows-what. It is good stuff to consider. From what I have heard and read, damage comes mostly from repetitive abuse, so I am not sure how bad the occasional shot from hunting actually is. I know target shooting can beat the hell out of your ears. You had better learn to talk extra loud if you plan on conversing with most of the older competitive shooters.