Doc

Yup, frost warnings up for Allegheny County, and a potential for lows in the 30's in counties south of Rts 5&20 in Western NY. Man that's pretty early for that kind of crap, isn't it? Are we setting up for an ugly winter? I've gotten pretty soft when it comes to my winter driving skills. I really don't need anything like that.

I'm sure you understand that we have a judicial branch of the government that is responsible for determining the constitutionality of laws. Defining constitutionality is not the job of individual citizens or the law enforcement people. We do not pick and choose what laws to abide by based on our opinion. I would hope that our law enforcement agencies have not assumed the responsibilities of picking and choosing what laws to enforce or obey based on their notion of what is or is not constitutional. With all due respect, I must point out that they are not educated or capable of doing that and it is in no way their responsibility or right. We are all allowed our opinion, but no authority automatically goes along with having an opinion.

Nothing beats a ghillie suit. I have performed a few experiments with having people trying to spot me while I sat in the woods with my ghillie suit on, and with just a very little brush. Even though they were consciously knowing exactly what they were looking for, it took one heck of a long time for them to spot me. And that was only at 50 yards. It is an amazing way to break your outline and nearly become invisible. The only problem I have is figuring how to draw and shoot a bow with all that crap all over me. It Is nearly guaranteed to foul up in the arrow or bowstring or limbs in some way .... lol. I have a good thought for an invention that hasn't occurred to anyone that I know of. Somebody needs to market a blaze orange ghillie suit for gun/crossbow deer hunting. I think that if done right it could be deadly deer hunting camo while still having the safety effects of being obvious to other hunters. I'm thinking of color combinations of several shades of orange to still provide that image-breaking pattern and yet have the colors that catch the eye of other hunters. Kind of like camo blaze orange done with the ghillie design.

I am thinking the reason that blaze orange doesn't pose a problem during gun season is that with a gun, most of the "positioning motions" are done before the deer gets super close. So basically before the deer is at a point where you are ready to shoot them, you may be dressed in a head-to-toe blaze orange material, but you are not making any significant movements. That works. With a bow, you have no option but to draw your bow while the deer is in close proximity. Couple that significant movement with bright colors that don't blend well with the surroundings, and the deer is gone before you can release the shot. That is what camo is all about during bow season. Even with full camo, the drawing motion required with a bow can get you busted. Trying to do that with some kind of highly reflective bright material would be a guarantee of being spotted.

There is something wrong when you find it necessary to hate people simply because they respond to your posts. There are things not to like in this government, but I will say that when you start pushing the idea of lawlessness, that is an issue that I do not take as lightly as you apparently do. And yes, that is exactly the same philosophy adopted by Terry Nichols and his partner McVeigh. They too held the notion that the government of this country is their enemy and that laws mean nothing. Their solution lead to their conclusion that war had to be declared against the Country (government). I'm sorry, but I simply can't abide that kind of thinking or talk. It's offensive to me, and is totally contrary to what I fought for. We have systems in place to handle what's gone wrong in our government. Most choose to use that system. Others simply want to tear it all down. We are a country that has laws at our core. That is not a new concept that just came on us since the 50's and 60's but has been here since our inception. This never has been the form of government where people pick and choose what laws they will obey. There are legitimate processes for changing laws that are unjust or unpopular. You may choose to ignore those processes and cross over to the side of lawlessness, but don't expect a whole lot of support when you propose such a thing.

Here's the deal. I have never seen such outrage over any piece of legislation that I have seen over this. The reaction of the NYS gun owners was impressive to say the least. It is probably the most unified that I have ever seen gun owners actually get. The rallies and protests were really quite impressive. I see this as a very unique, once in a lifetime opportunity to actually put these legislators on notice. If we squander this opportunity, we might as well just give it all up. One thing that terrifies politicians is a highly motivated and unified minority and that is exactly what they handed us if we can only keep the outrage alive until the elections. Anti-gun voters are all over the map in terms of issues and hot-buttons reasons for the way they cast their vote. They really have no motivation to vote as a single block. This time around, we do. That makes us a potentially powerful voting block that can make a difference. Part of all that involves a "get out the vote" activity by as many as possible people who really care about gun ownership. It will take a lot of organization, and pushing, and effort, but given this issue and the emotion that is behind it, I believe we have the best opportunity to pull it off that we will ever see. I too have taken note of those that have mixed feelings about specific elements of that law, but it was so all-encompassing that it had a little something in it to piss off every gun owner. I have seen the breadth and scope of the hatred for this act, and I believe that we really need to go for it. We need to take that voting record on that act and use it as a pass/fail document for our vote. Anything else will doom us forever to watching our gun rights dissolve here in this state.

My primary annual stands (all ground blinds) have been all prepared for a couple of months now. That is not according to plan, it's just the way my time became available. However, I do know that I will come across some smokin' hot places as the season progresses and I will not hesitate to knock out an instant stand right there on the spot. I have had success doing that. As long as too much disruption is not made, and the area is not stunk-up too much in making the set-up, I have had amazing success in "same-day" stand building. You guys with climbers should be able to set stands just about anytime you want as long as you don't have to butcher the area clearing out shooting lanes.

Yeah, shooting the bow is a lot more fun and a lot less boring.

I think the 2nd picture from the bottom shows a basic flaw in ceiling height regarding bowhunting. It looks like there is no upper limb clearance.

First of all, you have to understand that any passage of gun control is interpreted by the voting public as being "tough on crime". Of course that linkage is ridiculous, but the anti-gun folks have done a better job of selling that bogus thought than we have done in trying to fight it. Hell, we even have some gun owners on here that are believers in gun control. So gun control is a way of getting votes, an that is what politicians are all about. So when we had all these kids being killed by that mentally defective goof-ball, the politicians swooped in like a bunch of carrion-eating vultures and figured that the time and circumstances were correct for sliding in a major attack on the 2nd amendment. As they say in politics, "no good crisis should ever be wasted". See, you're trying to apply logic and reason to an issue that runs completely on emotion. The anti-gun forces are masters at manipulating emotion. We aren't even in their league when it comes to that. And the anti-gun forces have the politicians in their pocket. So when you add all that up, it makes perfect sense. No, none of this will effect anything other than applying another layer of harassment on the backs of gun owners. And that is the basis behind the Safe Act, plain and simple. There is nothing in the Safe Act that would have prevented the tragedy at Sandy hook. The only defense against this constant barrage of harassment is to make politicians more afraid of gun owners than they are of the anti-gun fanatics. we do have an opportunity to make that happen when the next election comes around if we can just stay as incensed as we were when the Safe Act was snuck in. If we can discipline ourselves to vote as a unified block, and in effect become a group of "one-issue" voters, we do have the rare opportunity to show that gun owners are not an easy mark. Can we do it? ...... That remains to be seen.

I really don't do the "trophy" thing. Sure if a monster walks by and I get it, I will be very happy. But my hunting really has more to it than just collecting heads for the wall. So to answer the question, there is no buck that could cause me to target just him exclusively. I may spend extra time in an area where he hangs out, but as far as passing up his lesser friends, that isn't really very likely.

I noticed that too. That's weird ...... all the other deer seem to have changed coats except that one is still in summer colors. What makes it even more strange is that all the deer around my place still have that red summer coat, although there is an awful lot of hair loss happening right now.

Could be a good tactic if you step on a twig during a stalk.... take out a turkey call and do a couple of soft yelps. I don't know if that would work, but it might be worth a try and maybe relax the deer a bit. Anybody ever do that to see what the deer's reaction is?

I thought it was interesting to see just how anyone would pull off an urban hunt. I can't imagine it myself, but they seemed to be able to do it ok without getting in too much trouble with the neighborhood. I am amazed that they didn't find themselves in a constant PETA demonstration.

The reason I offer an opinion is threefold. One, is the fact that I really don't like to see the glamorization of felony law-breaking. It is important that there should be no trivializing of the consequences. I don't know how many youngsters may be reading these messages, but most likely there are some, and it should not go unmentioned that felony convictions have consequences that last a lifetime. I know that Mr VJP is only stating what he believes is the honorable position of having the courage of your convictions, but unfortunately, it comes across as belittling living within a system of laws. The second reason a comment on this subject is required is my feeling that the time for insurrection is a bit premature in my opinion. I do not have this defeated attitude that it is time to trash the whole system. We have all kinds of potential remedies in process as we speak. We gain nothing by turning toward lawlessness. We do not pick up needed support by making people believe that gun owners are simply gangsters waiting to break laws and flaunt our willingness and perhaps even eagerness to jump to the other side of the law. There are very few that find sympathy with militia mindsets, and those convicted of, or participating in, acts that can be construed as domestic terrorism really are not all that effective in changing any policies. In fact that kind of thing only invites further encroachments and excludes support from reasonable thinking people. A third value of offering challenge to some of the notions offered in this thread is the fact that a lot of the more brash-speaking people think that simple shock value is all that is required to solve the current threats to the 2nd Amendment. It is much harder to get down in the trenches and do the heavy-lifting of legal activism. No these kinds of mundane grunt-work activities do not have the appeal of the more Rambo-style attitudes, but they are a lot more effective and really are the only activities that have any practical chance of affecting change.

Don't be fooled by those ribs showing. Right now with that summer coat, those ribs are obvious because the thinness of that coat, and also the fact that they are losing some of that hair in preparation for the arrival of the heavier winter coat. We get used to seeing deer looking all fluffed up with those big thick hollow winter hair-pieces. The fact is that they always are kind of a "ribby" critter underneath it all, and that doesn't really indicate a lack of nourishment. Lol ... They never do turn into a fat butterball kind of rig.

The weather sure isn't going to cooperate with any outdoor plans. Maybe there will be some small breaks in the rain where I can get out and shoot the bow. I hope so.

It occurred to me that perhaps my post might convince people not to buy and display these signs. That is not my intention. In fact I want to point out that more and more of these signs are popping up everywhere and it has become a very visible protest that is showing the widespread support for repealing that so-called "Safe Act". Understand that we are a fairly constant target of vandalism, and as far as I know nobody else has had a problem with such thefts. I have seen these signs go up all up and down the road without ever being disturbed at all. I have a unique situation where I am 1000' off the road, and totally cut off from view by the woods. That makes me an inviting target for any kind of vandalism down by the road. So, I guess what I'm saying is do not let this one isolated incident deter any of you from getting one of these signs from Scope. I encourage you all to do so. They cost $20, and I didn't see anything that indicated that you had to be a member to buy them. It's a great way of making a public statement on an important issue. Just access the Scope website for details on how to purchase them.

So, when can we join your militia? I assume that just like our forefathers, you are currently in the process of putting yourself on the line in defense of the tyranny and oppression that you believe we are all living under. Are you stockpiling that diesel fuel and fertilizer yet? Hey what the heck maybe we will be reading your name right up there with Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols and other such self appointed "patriots". I love the bold talk, but I really wonder when you intend to put that into actual practice.

For me there are no political labels when the next election comes about, at least for the state elections. One glance at the voting record on the Safe Act determines my vote This is a one-issue election coming up for me. As far as why these clowns felt secure voting for the Safe Act in the sneaky covert fashion that they did, the reason is clear. They believed that gun owners have a very short attention span and couldn't organize a card game. They have been proven correct in the past. It's up to us to put an end to that notion.

Hey ..... What's that stuff sticking out of his head? Are they supposed to have those stuck on them?

Please do. ....... And any other gun or hunting location too. In fact those that belong to rod & gun clubs might want to post a copy of the info on clubhouse bulletin boards. A year sounds like a lot of time, but it will pass before you know it. It is important that we get gun owners registered to vote and primed to send the message.

"D"-loop/Peep: 1. How old is your string? Brand new, problem is natural and can occur from initial string stretch. 2. Worse problem. String could be getting ready to let loose from age/wear. Problem number one re-adjust location of peep and the problem will take care of itself. Problem number two .... do not draw the bow back, and take the bow to a pro-shop immediately. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've got the rifle all set too. I still drag it out periodically just for fun. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apple trees ..... the ground around my apple and peach trees is starting to look like a barnyard. When the weather cools off a bit like its supposed to do in a day or two, I have a couple of my favorite trees to check out, and I'll be refreshing the ground blinds while I am there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trail cams ...... Well, as usual I am merely taking hundreds worthless pictures around the house. A whole lot of doe pictures and fawns and the occasional spike and 4-point. Not much of a true scouting activity. Just spying on my local shrub eaters. Kind of lost the will to set the cameras too far away from home since I got that one stolen last year.

Somehow, we have to keep this issue alive. I fear that it will work out like so many others where there is genuine outrage for a few months and when the time comes that people can turn that outrage into a clear message to the politicians that screwed us, the focus is lost and people resort to the same old ineffective voting of party lines or get off on some other tangent, or find themselves ineligible to vote. Our current crop of politicians count on that. We have a unique opportunity to act as an effective political unit to tell these guys that individual voters still run the ship and gun owners do remember. I really do fear that we are not going to live up to the task. I already see signs that the issue is fading. So occasionally I pop on here to just refresh the issue. Hopefully others are doing the same in other venues. Naturally when the election gets near, I will become even more disgustingly repetitive....lol. But I do believe there is some value in periodically bringing it all up again. Also, we had a redistricting activity that affected our representatives, and I remember how hard it was for me to locate who the current state representatives were. Likewise, voter registration is a process that can sometimes perplex new voters. So I figured these links might help others who don't know where to look. It's all just a little attempt to help pull gun owners and hunters together for this major once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a motivated population of voters to speak clearly and in unison and to try to break up this arrogance and indifference that our politicians seem to have adopted. It is my belief that even a minority can be an effective political force as long as they are unified and focused where their opposition is not.

Oh yeah..... Well if you think those are great take a look at these two beasts. We grow 'em big down here