Doc

What these towns need to do is to introduce a few mountain lions into the neighborhood. As a side benefit, it would also eliminate stray cats and dogs. It might even thin out the human population a bit too. Now that is something all these pinko animal rights people would be sure to get behind.

I have thought about the length of our gun seasons, and from what I have seen in recent years, the final weeks of the season really don't seem to have much of an impact. I have seen deer return to their pre-season diurnal patterns long before the season is over. The gun shots seem to dwindle down to less than you would hear on an average day of early small game season. I really wonder what the actual numbers show for deer harvests in the last couple weeks of gun season. It might just be that we are concerned over something that really has no impact on the deer herd.

Ok, this thread has taken a big change in direction and a very interesting one. The old "healthy life-style" topic. So, I'm going to take the opportunity to air one of life's little curiosities. The roads are being flooded with these people riding bicycles, and one thing I have noticed was that these people are kind of like frozen in concentration, totally "zoned out". All decked out in their pretty spandex tights with their pretty aerodynamic helmets on, they ride down the road totally screwing up traffic and constantly risking their lives. They are not out there to enjoy the fresh air and scenery. They are all riding along with their eyes fixed in a glassy stare at the pavement. It looks like an activity that you could do just as well in the gym on a stationary bike without the wonderful side effect of sucking in the exhaust fumes of every car, truck or bus going by. I do exactly the same thing at the YMCA only without the engine exhaust toxins going into my lungs along with who knows what other pollutants. And, I have a TV to watch while I am doing it. So, what is the big attraction to getting out on the highway and testing the patience of motorists that are actually trying to get somewhere. Can anyone explain any of this to me?

Maybe that's one of those "guaranteed hunts" that was being talked about. The game is already provided in a pre-dead condition, and you pay your money and begin the stalk.....lol.

Yup that was me. I can't remember the exact context, but I believe I was using that scenario as an illustration of how bad gun control could get or is likely to get.

I have to admit that I don't even own a muzzleloader. But I have to wonder what could possibly be more reliable than electricity. At the beginning of the season, you buy a new battery and you are good for the whole season .... right? Nothing to fumble around with and drop in the leaves. It is like eliminating a part of the loading process. Actually, it sounds like a good concept to me. I don't think the idea is based on saving any money. Most likely it is a feature of convenience and time saved during loading and re-loading. It sure is weird applying electricity to a weapon that started off being something considered to be a primitive weapon, but when you consider all the modernization that has already been accepted and all of the challenges that have been eliminated from the original weapon, what the heck does the addition of a battery really amount to. The weapon has already been bastardized beyond recognition.

I have never participated in either scenario and never intend to, so I really can't say. But just a silly wild guess, I would have to say that anything in hunting that comes with a guarantee probably is very short on having any skill required since every participant gets the same guarantee even if they are absolutely clueless beginners.

Fasteddie has another tip for you ....... check it out: http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/250-cheap-archery-target/

Lol ... I think there is a whole lot more people around with excess cash falling out of their pockets than I had thought. To me that is just foolish waste of money that should probably be going into 401Ks and other savings investments. I mean look at the cost for the function. That is way out of whack. I know ..... "He who dies with the most toys wins".....lol.

Actually, it doesn't take a passed and signed bill to warrant getting bent out of shape. Just the fact that there are jerks out there proposing this stuff is enough to send one off the deep end. They know that if you throw enough crap up against the wall, some of it is bound to stick. This sort of thing is just another legalized harassment of gun owners in that we are now going to have to send out the letters and email, and our advocacy groups are going to have to dip into their treasuries once more to send out all the warnings and calls to action. These creeps know that and that is why the constant barrage of these nonsensical proposals. At some point we are going to have to understand that we have to foster political fear in the minds of these politicians and make them understand that their votes have consequences. What bothers me is the growing attitudes that you often see here of people who simply say, "I will not comply" and then act like the problem is solved. No .... the problem is not solved. Every one of these legal assaults on the 2nd Amendment turns millions of legitimate gun owners into criminals that are eligible for felony convictions and jailing. Just saying you will not comply does absolutely nothing. The proper reaction whether we like it or not has to be a letter writing campaign that puts the fear of God into these legislators. Until people understand that, we will continue to lose our legal rights to self-protection and the legal use of firearms or become part of the criminal element in this country. They say that "freedom is not free". They are right. It requires diligence, intelligence and quick reactions and efforts.

Did anyone think for one minute that the Safe Act was the end of the attacks on gun owner's rights? Well, pay attention, because they are still revelling in the success of having stuck it to those evil gun owners, and can't wait to continue the campaign while they still have a hot hand.

Yeah, I think the hay bale trick should work fine. After all, it's not like they will get shot out ..... unless you are a real crappy shot.....lol

Electronic ignition on a gun. Somehow, I never pictured that I would ever hear that term used in the same sentence a "muzzleloader". Now, if they can just come up with an auto-loader/muzzle loader ..... lol.

$200 for a damn sight? Boy have I ever gotten out of step with things .... lol. I mean really, we are only talking about a sight ..... A stationary aiming reference point.

What the heck does the "DNA" stand for?

Yeah, I probably fall into that "lame" category .... lol. Actually there is a lot more cost than just the $209 for the tags. Travel, lodging, etc. have to be figured in also. And then too, remember that a lot of people are playing it pretty close to the vest with their budgets. Everybody keeps talking about the great economy but a lot of us have yet to see the results of that "great" economy. All I ever see anymore is inflation. Also, there are a lot of family obligations that keep people relegated to just the local hunts. Everybody has a different set of circumstances that determine what they can or can't do. And then too, let's not forget that all hunters do not share the 100% commitment of devoting all of their time to hunting. A lot have other things that have to share any free time. Anyway, I understand the attitude of those friends that shy away from such opportunities. It's too bad because nobody really wants to go on these kinds of trips by themselves. And I know you are frustrated. Perhaps somebody in this forum might be interested in heading out there with you. It does sound like a fun trip.

Way back in the old days when we used to use shotguns (last year), the pounding I took with my old 12 gauge had me limiting my pre-season scope-check shots to just 3 (that is if everything went well). The last 3-shot group that I took at 50 yards was what I called my "Mickey Mouse" group. It looked like the outline of mickey Mouse complete with the two ears....lol. Now I spend hours shooting my .270 and enjoying every minute of it.

I'm armed and ready for the rifle in Ontario County. I heard from a very good source that rifles in our county were a lock, so way back in early winter I bought a brand new .270 American Ruger (along with ammo and reloading supplies) just for the occasion.

We have no such thing as a Honey-do list. But unfortunately that doesn't mean that I don't have things that have to be accomplished this year. But actually the good thing about hunting from home is that I can often multi-task if things start to get away from me.

(2) 8N permits. I doubt anyone is being turned down in 8N. Also, I will guarantee that there will be extras available before the season starts. We've got a lot of deer.

First of all, make sure you have a tow vehicle that has enough balls to pull a trailer full of Quad up long steep hills. I used to do it with a little Honda Civic, and believe me there were a few hills that had me wondering if I was going to make it up. Once you are happy with the tow vehicle, I would suggest that you get at least a 4' x 8' trailer so that if you can haul anything from a quad to a snowmobile to lumber and never be constrained by the size of your trailer. Also be sure to have an adequate ramp style tailgate for ease of loading. You can get a tilt-style trailer bed, but unless you do some special additional wiring, there will always come a time when you run into ground problems and the lights won't work. That is pretty much a pain in the neck when you go to use your trailer and can't get the lights to work.

I feel your pain. Last year I had a Cuddeback stolen ..... $200+.

Not too many counties left anymore that don't allow rifles. That means that nearly every fatality and accident in NYS will be done by a rifle. A bunch of these counties are in a trial period. I hope people are very careful, and the accident rates don't begin to go up. Something like that could easily be mis-interpreted and put rifle usage in some of these counties in jeopardy in a very permanent way. People will be watching the numbers very closely. We had better make sure that we don't have any reversals in the safety record.

I'll have to check this out. Thanx for the link.

For me this election will be a punitive strike against those that voted for the Safe Act, and a reward for those that voted against it. Party affiliation and crossbow or no crossbow doesn't even enter into it at all. This is an election to make legislators understand that their votes have consequences (good or bad). It's simply time to remind them that we are paying attention. There is one thing that gets a politicians attention above all other things, and that is votes and getting elected. It's time that they were made to understand that we are united, and we do vote and we are putting all politicians on notice that if you vote for such underhanded and unconstitutional laws as the Safe Act, you will be out looking for a job. And I can only hope that that is really the case and that gun owners are not so wimpy that they have forgotten how to stand up for themselves. Yes, we may very well vote in somebody that hates guns even worse than the ones that we vote out. But understand that they will come to the job with the understanding that if they make the same mistakes as their predecessors, they too will have to hit the road. Believe me, they will soon change their stripes once they understand that fact. A politician's dedication to principle only extends as far as their constituent votes will allow them. They know that, and they react to that, and it's time they get reminded of that. I'm serious about all this. Those gun owners who are not registered to vote ..... don't wait. Get with it now! Those gun owners that you know that are not registered, persuade them to do so now. Make sure they understand the issue. Make sure they understand what to do about it. This all only works if we are acting as a united front. We are in the minority, and so it is important that we act as a dedicated voting block. That's the one potential advantage that we might be able to come up with. A small dedicated minority is way more powerful than the totally disorganized majority opposition. We can't have everybody running off in different directions, doing their own thing. We lose political advantage that way. Make it a one-issue election. Send that message that we are still as angry a we were back when this abuse was first done to us. Make them understand that time is not their ally and that we do not forget.