Doc

No, a crossbow is not by definition a bow. Arrow Flinger had it exactly right when he said, "A Crossbow isn't a gun or a bow. Its a CROSS between them both". And my objection to crossbow inclusion into bow season involves the precedent being set that further moves the weapons restrictions farther and farther away from actual bows. Yes there are some very distinct features of a crossbow that trashes many of the original challenges that bow season was created for. Yes, these might be adequate reasons for opposition. But I see no end to the ever expanding re-defining of what is allowed in bow seasons. A line has to be drawn somewhere, and for me that line involves stocks, bi-pods, and the basic elimination of the disciplines and consistencies of shooting a bow.

Bill, didn't you keep your bow-press from the time when you ran the shop? You didn't get rid of all your stuff did you? As you know, there is a big difference between the level of accuracy that you need for hunting vs. what is needed for competition. I know when I was into competition, I needed the smallest peep that I could use without interfering with my vision. That was a big thing then and made a significant difference in my scores. I know that back then I would never have used a 1/4" peep. However, today my only concerns (theoretically....lol) is having enough accuracy for hunting distances and adequate vision in low-light conditions. So I have a 5/32" hole in the peep. That seems to work well for visibility and accuracy for hunting purposes.

That is an unbelievably low price for that kind of quality. I'll have my order in before the end of the day .... lol.

I would go with the ground blind ..... And stake it down good this time.

Died in committee. Try again next year.

Oh nobody is suggesting doing nothing. It's just the radical knee-jerk reaction that some have that makes them want to reach for their rifle every time a legislative vote doesn't go their way, that I find fault with. There are plenty of legal processes and actions within the system that people can do, and I believe that open armed insurrection is a very last resort. I don't think we are at that stage yet and I do believe that those who want to rush into that kind of solution prematurely should be heavily discouraged against taking those kinds of illegal activities. What we don't need is more terrorist crazies running around with bombs. We already have enough of those from foreign sources. We don't need to have them as home-grown entities. I'm kind of reminded of the wackos in the Arab nations that simply are not happy unless they are carrying on some kind of Jihad. I don't want to see that kind of mentality growing here. They're nuts, and that doesn't mean that we have to emulate them. That mentality is for people who have a very warped image of what oppression and injustice really are and who have some kind of weird love of violence running through their brain that they can't control.

In the past, I have had that problem with some of my peach trees. Eventually some of them just died and I have never found out what the cause was. Even this year, there is some minor leaf-loss on each of them. The apple trees are very happy so far and have grown great and without problems (other than late frosts typical of a valley).

I'm thinking 4 or 5 years. I'm not really sure because I have had a tough time with them and every year for a while there was one or two that had to be replaced so now I am getting confused as to how long each ha been in.

I like the quality of those pictures. can you supply the specs on that Covert? Things like model, cost and where you bought it. I think I should have one ... lol.

Oh, the AR topic is already in the news and sure to start up debate again. WMU 7P fails to get ARs. Horrible isn't it? How could that happen? How will the herd survive? Food plots .... yes by golly, we haven't had a good argument over those in a long time. We're due. But what about "high fences"? I always like the TV hunting program discussions too. The problem is that everybody agrees that those are crap. The baiting and feeding squabbles are always entertaining too. There's never a shortage of issues and all kinds of opinions to go along with them.

That was funny. But seriously, that is what they have been reduced to with their gun laws. Long stabby things, golf clubs, baseball bats, and Olympic torches.....lol. We're not all that far behind them and rushing to catch up with a lot of help from Andy and his gun-hating cohorts.

Lol ..... Can you imagine the pail of poop you would be in with the DEC if you ever shot one because you thought it was getting ready to attack? And then there is the case where you are out in the shed and your gun is in the house. I'll tell you one thing, it sure did give me a weird feeling that morning that I stepped out of the house and found my bird feeders all bent over, and my garbage can stuck up in the woods at the end of a long trail of garbage. I never even saw the critter, and I didn't like it. He visited the neighbors too and left a big old muddy foot-print on the wall of their house next to the door. I really don't like any of those kinds of things losing their fear of humans and taking up residence in your yard.

There used to be an old saying that went something like .... "Good fences make good neighbors". In my case, the neighbors are so far away from me that I don't even know when they are doing something aggravating.....lol.

I still use a peep sight, but spent quite a few years a long-long time ago without using one. Of course everything that I ever added was supposed to hold form and position a little tighter and consistent. Who knows how much of that stuff is really still needed from one decade to another. It is good that you are still experimenting and testing to find out just how essential these things still are for you. I often wondered how much of the crap I could actually remove from my bow without actually seeing any difference. My problem is that I tend not to "mess-with-success". Maybe I should once in awhile.

I think the proliferation of them maybe has been a bit over-exaggerated. But imagine if there were just a few dozen deer in all of NYS. They probably would be pretty elusive too. That doesn't mean that they aren't a ticking time-bomb. As I understand it, hog population growth is kind of exponential such that their numbers can remain in a stealth mode for a while, but eventually with all the annual litters and the size of those litters, a problem will build to a point where there is no controlling them. I would guess that we are in the early stages of that growth curve. There have been significant numbers of official sightings and a few of them actually taken, so I assume the DEC knows they are here and breeding as a wild population. I have not heard of a whole lot about any crop damage here in NYS yet, but we know from experiences down south that eventually that will come. So, I am thinking that the infestation is still in its infancy at the moment, just waiting for the population to blossom. It will happen in time. And that is what all the fuss is about .... not current existing problems, but what is sure to come.

Ha-ha .... I am not in any imaginary corner (Can't imagine where you came up with that stupid comment) and I am not twisting anything you are saying. I am simply quoting your own words and letting them stand on their own for others to interpret.

And it's about time!

Isn't that a bit scary? Broad daylight .... no fear of human activity? That would make me a bit nervous.

Basically, we have no argument over the fact that our freedoms are being eroded, and that we need to be ever vigilant and encourage people to wake up and begin the process of getting our government under control. Our big difference is in the methods. I am one who would rather do things within the system. I am not ready to trash an entire system and turn our system into anarchy and armed rebellion. I am not ready to become one of the Tim McVeighs in this world running around with my fertilizer and diesel fuel. I still loathe those cowardly treasonous domestic terrorists. Sure there may come a day of necessary forceful rebellion, but I am not ready to rush that situation or start something that will surely put a final end to this country and render it ripe for foreign take-over or the implementation of a dictatorial system of government that will make what is going on today look like child's play.

I am not discounting or ignoring anything including your previous statement that, "The ONLY people that will see any advantage to a crossbow as far as range is concerned, are newbies and shooters that have a problem drawing a vertical bow". And of course your revised assertion that the crossbow will help the accuracy of those that refuse to practice, kind of admits that there is some more significant accuracy advantages to be had with a crossbow over the vertical bow than you are willing to admit to. Of course you are trying to have it both ways. I just thought I would bring that to your attention.

No, the bow hunting and muzzle loading parts of hunter recruitment are just fine. It's the gun hunting that is faltering. And I don't think crossbows are going to help them one bit. Yes, perhaps crossbows will coax gun hunters to load up the bow season, but they will not grow over-all numbers.

The one thing that gets lost in all this is the fact that the organization's system worked exactly the way an advocacy organization should. The leadership was off-base with their proposal and the rank and file membership saw to it that the proposal was eliminated. So much for those that try to say that the NYB leadership ignores the will of its members. The NYB leaders buckled to anti-NYB rhetoric that they were incapable of compromise and they mistakenly attempted to demonstrate negotiations and compromise. They were wrong. They were told. They dropped the plan. A picture perfect scenario of an organization reacting to member pressure .... the way it should.

Yeah, by the way, I still haven't located that name-calling thing. I seldom get involved in that sort of thing. But if you can point out the occasion, I will certainly apologize for it if it is indeed an unfair and incorrect assessment.

And why would anybody ever listen to a line of rhetoric from somebody who knows absolutely nothing about the organization. The fact is that you are a disgruntled crossbow supporter and it is pathetically transparent. And by under-handed tactics, are you referring to the failed attempt by "crossbow backers hoping to bypass the legislative process by having a state budget amendment placed into the 2013-2014 spending plan that would leave any crossbow use in the hands of the DEC"? (a quote out of New York Outdoor News). Oh, I'm sorry that wasn't NYB.

Relating to the bolded quote above, I can only say that current numbers say that as long as we don't screw it up, you have nothing to worry about as far as bow hunting continuing for your kids and their kids. Bow hunting is a very healthy and sustaining activity in NYS and is really in no need of "fixing". Probably doesn't serve bow hunting all that much to simply transfer gun hunters into bow season via a hybrid weapon such as crossbows. At least I can't see the benefit. If you are worried about over-all hunter recruitment and retention, then I suggest you look at gun season.