Doc

I have to admit that hunting should not really become a spectator sport in some urban neighborhood. Even the most careful of us occasionally mess up and that is not a real great situation when dealing with something that is as emotionally charged as these things can become to non-hunters.

I have to wonder just how "fresh the air is as the diesel fumes from the trucks cloud around the bikers. Even the fumes from a passenger vehicle has some mighty peculiar smells to it. I hope it is something relatively harmless like maybe the ethanol additives, but who the heck knows exactly what they are putting in gasoline these days. As far as gear is concerned, you need to head down toward Canandaigua Lake several weekends during summer and watch the peacocks doing their races. They are a "pretty" lot ....lol. Mobs of them in clusters so big that you can't get around them all of them riding two and three abreast. And believe me, these guys don't look right or left, just straight ahead staring down at the pavement and breathing the fumes of anyone who happens to find a straight-away that is long enough to get by. Really, I'm just being honest ..... I don't see the point. As I said, they are getting no better work-out than if they were on a stationary bike in their living room or the YMCA. The one big difference is that in the YMCA, you're not sucking down vehicle emissions or running the risk of being thumped out into a ditch by some frustrated motorist trying to get past the mob. Now the mountain bikers are in a different category. They are still a pain in the neck when I'm trying to hunt, but at least they really are getting fresh air and other than a hunter here and there, they are bothering nobody or causing any unsafe traffic conditions. Anyway, everybody has to do what they have to do, but I'm just saying that it doesn't make a bit of sense to me.

Are these bow companies really starting to run out of names? It sounds like it .....lol. Heli-m ..... that sounds like another off-the-wall attempt at naming a bow model. That stuff makes no sense.

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+.