Doc

And who will be setting that as a pre-requisite?? ......Our friend Andy? I doubt it. More likely he will select an anti-gunner, animal rights activist.

What a great plot for a movie!

Actually, I am surprised that we don't have a pack of liberals here talking about the flag display simply being an exhibit of free speech. When I think of all the ridiculous items and images and acts that have been defended by the left purely on the basis of free-speech, (offense be damned) it seems that the defense of the confederate flag would be a natural for them if they are to maintain any credibility. Where is our dyed-in-the-wool leftists on all this?

We certainly have had quite a collection of DEC Commissioners in the last few years. Hard to see how any consistent policy can be maintained when they change commissioners everytime Cuomo owes somebody a favor. And so the DEC was being run by some Al Gore type .... eh? I'm sure that fish and game issues got a lot of attention and priority during his reign.

Yeah, I used the term "little" to indicate that if you really don't have to become full-time slave labor, you might want to re-evaluate how much that particular hunting parcel might be worth to you. It sounds like there may be some that might go a bit overboard in exploiting the situation......lol. Not all farmers or landowners are like that.

It's kind of a sore subject with me. I watched some prime hunting land totally destroyed with a maze of bike trails that makes it impossible to hunt a large area of what use to be very productive deer country. Splotches of paint dot the trees, (as if there was some way that somebody could get lost on those rutted, eroded trails). The ground is permanently marked with ruts and erosion as thoroughly as if it had been done with dirt bikes or ATVs. The trails so thoroughly canvass the area that throughout that whole area, you are never out of earshot, and view of the packs of mountain bikers hooting and hollering throughout the hill. It certainly has changed the nature and atmosphere of the hill and impacted the daytime patterns of the deer.

The question is, does this go farther than just finances? Does it indicate a change in attitude toward hunters, fishermen and trappers? .... perhaps a genuine dis-interest or worse. Is there an attitude of antagonism between hunters and the DEC that is starting to show here? I get the feeling that there is more than just a financial component to this action and all the attitude over recent years that has led to the destruction of this event.

It's true that PR activities are easy to axe out if the DEC truly is afflicted with short range vision. NYS doesn't seem to have that kind of problem with blowing millions on advertising the tourism industry. I suspect the "I Love New York" TV ads aren't exactly cheap. But when it comes to the DEC, I can't say that I have ever seen anything that could be mistaken for forward thinking and recognizing expenditures that could have huge returns in the future. Their move toward cutting off support for outdoor activities and the participants does not exactly indicate the recognition of the importance of having healthy numbers of hunters, fishermen and trappers as partners in their game management activities. But that's becoming old news. So it isn't really a question of how easy it is to sacrifice support and encouragement of sportsmen and women, but rather a question of the wisdom of sacrificing it. I really wonder if they can even see the value of supporting programs that grow these activities. A well organized and operated National Hunting and fishing day can pay off huge dividends in recruitment of future license buyers, if they really could see that far.

One word of caution about private land hunting permissions would be not to assume that because you did everything right and got permission that you now have exclusive access to pristine, unhunted land. Some of the most densely hunted property that I ever was on was private, but completely open to all (permission or not). It made state land look desolate and untouched. Make sure you have alternate choices in case things get a little crowded on that opening morning.

I should have put in rice.

In Ashsplash's case and probably for most new hunters who are running on their own, I would not recommend any on-line courses. When you are getting involved in hunting with no personally known hunters for guidance, the more face-to-face contact you can have with other hunters and the instructors, the better. The possibilities for meeting hunting partners or someone who owns hunting land that might offer an invite are things that will never happen with online courses. The object should be to interface with as many others as possible, not stay isolated. You cannot ask questions or get explanations from an on-line course.

Let's try a few suggestions: Local town halls usually have aerial maps with property lines defined. Locate the property and the landowner's name and address there and then pay the landowner a personal visit. Personal contacts only. Try to pick a time that will not be an imposition. Not at traditional mealtimes .... lol. Dress somewhat conservatively (no camo). Be very polite and present yourself as a responsible individual. Try to work out an introductory pitch ahead of time. Offer to donate bit of help around the farm if the landowner is a farmer More?????

I agree. Race has no relevancy to hunting, fishing, or trapping. And neither does that damned flag. We have no requirement or interest in anyone's ethnicity. What the hell kind of dumb question was that anyway?

After the winter we just got finished with, can it really be surprising if people are not seeing a whole lot of fawns. Yes the observation may be a bit premature yet, but I will not be super-surprised if the winter has taken a significant toll on this years crop of fawns. It all yet remains to be seen, but I think the results may make us all wonder about the frantic panicky plans that the DEC has formulated to rid us of all those nasty deer.

I think this last round of flooding sounded the death-knell for our garden. Plants do not grow well in standing water. Perhaps I might be able to salvage some squash simply because they were planted in hills. We'll see. Oh, and it looks like we will be blessed with a little more rain tomorrow and the next day. "How high's the water Mama? ..... Five feet high and rising." Old Johnny Cash may be dead, but his song sure isn't. Predictions? .... This is just an extension of last winter. It was quite simple to predict all this crap. More colder than normal weather with higher than normal precipitation. Yeah a little wrinkle here and there, but the bigger picture is just a seasonally modified version of last winter.

I went for quite a few years in a row, and even exhibited as a representative of Avon Bowmen for a few years. But lately even though some of the displays and activities were quite interesting, they began to get repetitive. Nothing ever changed, and even some of the old vendors and sportsmen's organizations began to slowly thin out such that many of the displays that I did look forward to simply stopped coming. On the last trip over, I questioned a lot of exhibitors and got the same story from each one. The costs were getting too high. And while I am sure that is the case, I also think that a lot of interest from rod & gun clubs and archery clubs and trappers organizations has been dwindling over the years. I remember back when I was involved, we spent a huge number of hours photographing and writing up presentations, and composing talks and seminar style of presentations. There was volumes of handouts and printed material that took a fair amount of dedication and effort from our club members. I can also say that almost all of the other exhibitors put in similar efforts that paid off with a NH&F day presentation that everyone wanted to see. I have not really seen any of that kind of enthusiasm in recent years and it surely shows in the participation and attendance. So, I am not sure just who is responsible, but I can say that it is a shared responsibility that runs all the way down to the individual sportsmen not giving a damn about putting on a good display that represents their individual interests. Some of that is driven from the top, and I have seen huge changes in the participation of DEC personnel, to the point where it begins to look like their part in it all was completely limited to supplying the land. And now they want to pull that last connection with sportsmen. It appears that they really would rather specialize in environmental and pollution concerns than having anything to do with hunters, fishermen and trappers. And so it appears that we no longer have them as spokespeople for the support and growth of our outdoor activities, and that they have absolutely no interest in seeing any of these things maintained or in a growth situation. With that hole in the sportsmen's PR purposely created, they have shown their complete disinterest in that whole end of their activities. Yes, there are still many DEC employees that see value in it, but as Lisenbee points out, the management level of the DEC has been populated by lawyers and others who could really care less about promoting outdoor activities. Instead of fixing it, they are simply going to walk away from it.

Gosh, I hate that term SCOTUS!! It always sounds like a male body part.

When I read the title of this thread, I thought it was some drug related jargon....lol. I know I have seen one of my Brother-in-laws all "potted up".

Any nuclear power plants in your area?

My question is how do you collect enough pre-orbital scent from the deer to have enough to market on a national basis. What do they do, walk up to a farm raised deer and pinch its face until the goo flies out of their glands? Seriously, am I the only one that wonders these things? ...... lol.

Yes, the good old camo discussion. I have heard all kinds of reports on people getting within touching distance while wearing solid blaze orange, and I have heard stories of people getting picked off at 80 yards while wearing a ghillie suit. It makes it difficult trying to figure out what to believe. I know camo manufacturers are getting rich trying to convince us that their camo makes you invisible to the deer. I don't know, but generally I let the quality of the garment, the style of the fabric, and the price tag determine what I purchase.

I understand the sentiment, but I have to say that doing a stint with good old Ben Dover in the jug is not very high on my wish list. My thought is that those involved in defying the law, are really ignoring the position they are putting themselves into. Either that or they have no clue as to the real-world ramifications of their act. Or they have developed some deluded Rambo image of themselves and have decided to take on the state government. Like I say, what people do is really up to them and has nothing to do with me, but I just thought I would put a little bit of realism into the discussion.

Hoarding is causing a whole lot of inconvenience and frustration for fellow shooters, but in a way I kind for understand it. Maybe I'm just angry because I didn't think of stocking up before all this shortage stuff started....lol. Those that are hoarding for profit and engaging in gouging fellow shooters should be ashamed of themselves. But those who are simply ensuring a supply that they will be personally using, are probably just those who thought far enough ahead to ensure that they could always feed their guns. Nothing wrong with that.

Yes, I think the death sentence should be carried out in the woods. There are other ways of piecing together who helped and what the escape process was. Chances are pretty good he wouldn't give up those details anyway even if he were taken alive. So, these creeps have cost us enough money. Put him down and save any further expenses.

The first place I would suggest that you go is to the web-site of the NYS Department of Conservation. They have a great page with all of the info on the legal requirements for starting hunting. http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/hunting.html On that page, you will find one of the key links to a preliminary activity that is a prerequisite for getting your hunting license ... The Hunter safety courses. These courses will not only teach safety, but will also bring you in direct contact with hunters, and also give plenty of info on means, methods and correct ways of pursuing what will likely turn out to be a lifelong passion. Welcome to the ranks of NYS hunters, and I hope all works out well for you.