Doc

I found my first rub today (8/11/11). That beats the earliest date that I've seen one before by about 2 weeks. Anybody else found any yet?

Honestly, are there that many trappers left anymore?

Thank heavens we've got a self-appointed keeper of the facts here :

For the record I wasn't talking about anyone in particular.. I was talking in general... and it wasn't meant to be an insult to anyone... it's an observation I have made over the years about most hunter... It wouldn't matter what new hunting regulation came down the pike... or what the situation was with animal populations, or anything that has to do with conservation... hunters simply want what's best for themselves without regard for whether it is or isn't good for conservation... you can call it what you like.. I call it selfishness... the truth is .. if the DEC said that we needed to stop all DMP's tomorrow for the sake of some management concern... guys would have a fit because they wouldn't be allowed to kill their 4 doe this year... they couldn't care less what affect regulations have or don't have on management and wildlife... to me I have seen enough of it that it's a fact.. you might consider it an opinion... either way it's still selfishness... and not a good way to determine what hunting regulations are needed or not. I know what you are trying to say, but when is the last time you ever saw two hunters in a room that could agree on anything. It doesn't always mean they are selfish simply because they have a different point of view on a subject. And of course we always assume that we have the right point of view....right? It's not always self-serving to see things from a different perspective.

Actually it does I think you need to rethink what an attack is and consists of. Of course, some people take anything that contradicts their values to be an attack. Thats usually called being overly sensitive and not being able to handle any type of criticism. OK, call people whatever you want. I really don't have enough patience tonight to play your usual never ending word-games.

Actually it does

I know we all have different ideas on just what regs are required and what their benefits or lack thereof really are, but it bothers me a bit that as soon as anyone comes up with an opinion that is different from our own, we feel it is necessary to trot out the personal attacks. A lot of times these attacks simply boil down to: "I don't like people disagreeing with me, so here's a little insult for you". It's gets transparent after a while. And you have to admit that the old "selfish" card certainly gets over-used on this forum. In fact it's worn out .....

Not a bit. I fully expect a forum to involve differences of opinion. We as hunters have a whole lot of things that generate opinions and usually one guy's opinion is directly opposite of the next. Perhaps the way people express themselves can get a bit objectionable, but you have to remember that outdoorsmen and women are generally very passionate about our activities and how they are conducted. Sometimes it gets a bit overboard. Actually if it weren't for differences of opinion, these forum pages would be almost blank. However, it maybe would be worth recognizing that just because we disagree, it doesn't mean that we always have to go for the throat.

The one thing that I really enjoyed last year was the deer that they had there. But then I don't know that they will be there again either.

Lol ...... there goes that favorite forum phrase again. Whenever somebody thinks their arguments don't have enough strength on their own, they trot out that tired old "selfishness" thing again. Save it! .......it doesn't work anymore and is beginning to sound a bit silly.

Not sure I want to go this year. Last year was a big disappointment. Attendance was down. Number of vendors was down. Compared to previous years it was a bust and I heard a few vendors saying that they didn't intend to show up this year. I'm not sure what the problem was (is) but as bad as it was last year, it sounded like it was going to be worse this year. Have to wait and see if anything improves.

That is one thing that I have noticed is that a lot of my former hunting grounds from my younger years have been leased and locked up. By the way, I agree that it will not be the government that shuts down hunting. There are far too many other forces competing for that job ..... lol. About the only thing that would ever get the government into the act is if our numbers get so small that we become totally irrelevant to game management. We've got a ways to go yet on that score.

You've seen MORE hunting opportunities in the last 20 - 30 years, but lack of hunting opportunities is the biggest threat to hunting????? ...... :-\ .

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that without hunters, there would be no resources for law enforcement of the new "no-hunting" laws. Perhaps I might see the first real use for a crossbow ...... lol. .........Just Kidding!!!!!

Yeah, I would have to duck and dodge the 78 bajillion city hunters that would be over-running every piece of woods looking for food too. Can you imagine how long the deer would last if conditions got to the point where our huge population was out in nature trying to forage for food? It would be a lot easier to take up cattle rustling. What the heck ..... even all those hay-burner pet horses wouldn't be safe.

I think I have heard of some New York City restaurants serving venison. It's probably a case of getting the proper permits and buying strictly from deer farms.

That does show how radically their mentality changes as soon as hunting season begins. They really don't even have to be shot at directly to understand that it's time for evasive lifestyle changes. And boy do they know how to make those changes ..... lol. Is that demonstrating some actual logical reasoning on their part?

That's quite a tree stand!

LOL .... If I had to survive on what I hunt, we would be losing weight real fast.

As long as I can see them, I can set up defensively against them.....lol. Not a problem.

One additional safety feature of blaze orange that seldom gets mentioned or never shows up in these studies is the fact that very often it alerts hunters to the fact that they are posted too close. I cannot say how many times I have spotted somebody (or a piece of somebody) that moved in on me in a proximity that I considered far too close. It may not have bothered him to be that close to me, but I am thankful for the blaze orange that he wore that told me to get the heck out of there. Actually, my general rule is "if I can see him, he's too close" even if I can see only a piece of him. Someone in full camo might not (probably wouldn't) have caught my attention in those cases, but even a tiny piece of that B/O instantly catches my attention. Another thing that is assisted by B/O is that it helps me spot incoming still hunters. As soon as I see someone coming in, I forget about deer and focus on what that guy is doing. I may even take the opportunity to get on the far side of a tree and watch him like a hawk. That may seem a bit extreme, but I do practice defensive hunting as best as I can ..... all the time. I think the years that I have spent on some fairly popular state land has taught me to never assume that other hunters are responsible hunters.

I think it might surprise a lot of non or anti food-plotters as to just how much enjoyment that hunters get out of playing the farmer thing. Years ago, I spent some time as a part-time farmer, and for those who visualize this sort of thing as grueling work that is some kind of torture, I think you would be surprised at just how satisfying, relaxing, and down-right fun that sort of thing can be. So don't feel sorry for the food-plotters and how much time, money, and sweat they put into their plots. I don't doubt for a minute that they are having a ball even if their plots never attract one deer.

And I know the suburbanites like to puff out their chests and point to the plushness of their schools and all the luxuries that their tax money supplies. But the fact is that they are still cranking out a heavy percent of idiots and all they have bought with their excessive amounts of tax money is institutions of babysitting until their offspring reaches an age where they can off-load them on the rest of society. wow, that's bitter ....... sorry ....... lol.

The wife and I eat at least one. I do have some people that have a bit of a hardship case that can gladly take any extra deer that I think we will have a problem eating. I must admit that a nicely marbled angus steak or roast is much preferred any day inspite of the supposed health hazards of that kind of meat. So I have no problems with years when the take is only one. That does not mean that I don't want that one deer (buck or doe). On the other hand, I know a lot of people who will eat as many deer as they can legally get. I guess everybody has their own tastes, and in some cases - needs.

We have a couple of gas wells in our area that I have seen, and when they have been in for a lot of years, the site is really quite small and simple. A few short standing pipes and small tank-looking things, and usually a small de-forested area. In fact I'm not sure the sights were forested when they bought it. Of course these are the old style traditionally drilled wells. I have no idea what today's version might look like. Perhaps with the increased volumes and higher productions, the sites might be bigger and more complex. I don't know.