Doc

I would think that going afield without any weapons, and taking Fido out for a little exercise and a walk probably wouldn't be doing anything illegal.

So somebody, somewhere must have the info complete with details. I know when I was looking for info on blaze orange relationships to hunting accidents, there was info available but it was not as current as I would have liked it. I'll have to go back and see what the sources were that were listed.

A good portion of the season has had screwed up weather. But then thinking back on other years, I can remember quite a few ugly years, some cases even the gun season opener was nearly un-huntable. Let's face it, this time of the year is just plain nasty. I went down to the state land parking lot this morning and it was empty. I kind of figured that at least one or two brave souls would be out taking advantage of his last opportunity to score. Maybe everyone got their deer already and are done ...... lol. The funny thing is that here in my area it really didn't turn out that bad. The rain has been very, very light and basically no wind at all. If I wasn't tagged out, this would be a very promising hunting day. We still have snow on the ground (but it's going fast). I think guys have just had enough for this year. Maybe some are holding out for the muzzleloader season.

I keep hearing these hunting fatality reports and otherhunter wounding incidents dribbling out with different ones being reported here and there. I have to wonder if anyone ever publishes a season long tally of all of the states deaths and other incidents. Anyone who has ever tried to find a final tally of such info usually finds it pretty hard to come by and published totals always seem to be different depending on the news source. In previous years I have found that even DEC news releases seem to vary. So if anyone was interested in knowing the full extent of such incidents and what the surrounding circumstances actually are, does anyone know of a credible place that keeps track of such things?

It would be interesting to see just what the difference is between the raw data and the final published data. Interesting but probably not all that useful. I think the post data-gathering processing is a pretty big deal and probably a lot more complicated than we imagine. I realize that raw report data is terribly incomplete and probably meaningless without the massaging techniques. I think a lot of the early reporting has to wait for the establishment of the calculated "reporting rate" and who knows what else that has to be gathered, calculated and baked into the formula. That's why I am always a bit surprised at how quickly they begin making comments about the season and actually start publishing early harvest trends. Doc

Kind of makes you wonder what kinds of weapons they were storing there .... Has anybody checked to see if those white deer glow in the dark?

But on the positive side ....... look at all the extra meat he got from this deer. sorry .... ;D

I guess I don't know what the previous two replies are referring to. Just a random, "attacking" kind of comment I guess. But the fact is the only thing I was commenting on was the promptness of the remarks regarding opening weekend harvests. I really didn't say anything about the report being up, down, or sideways. So I have no idea what those last two replies were referring to. Doc

I believe there are identifying weapons limitations and other special regulations involved in the muzzleloader seasons as well. I'm not sure if that's how you are using the term or not. As far as the NYB, I have had disagreements with the leadership there in the past and have had some pretty heated discussions with them. However, like all such organizations, things don't always go my way and eventually I have to decide whether to abandon the only effective bowhunter advocacy group in NYS and just let seasons and regulations and other matters relating to bowhunting be determined by others including those who have shown a certain level of open hostility toward bowhunters. I have had my problems with some of the positions of the NRA also, but just as with the NYB, I have chosen to maintain membership based on the benefits that they provide the sport and the fact that when organized, we have some voice and without organization we have none. I suppose everyone has to decide whether the benefits out-weigh the disagreements in any organization we consider belonging to. That's a personal decision. Doc

That's why surprise inspections and testing would be required. It's kind of like that old no-tresspassing sign: "This property is protected by a pack of vicious dogs three days a week ...... You guess which days." Make the fines something that gets their attention, and just the threat of a surprise test would keep them honest.

Regarding the illegal baiting situation, a few pictures of the bait sites and and a trip to the nearest ECO or regional DEC headquarters with details and I think that problem could be ended before the end of the day. Doc

Hey! those aluminum arrows still fly great. However I'm not giving any away. I have one other trait that I have cultivated over the years ....... I'm cheap!! ;D

Lol...... set out a pan of Pine-sol. Isn't there some pine scented cover scent that you can buy somewhere from a hunting supply catalog or something? ;D I got to tell you, when my wife gets done decorating our tree, she has so much stuff on it you can't tell whether it's real or fake anyway....lol. It's just a carrier for ornaments and lights. It could probably be made from welded up water pipe and chicken wire. Hang enough crap on it and nobody would know the difference anyway.

Well I'm pretty much done with this anyway. Once ol' WNY decides he doesn't want to discuss something, he switches into dance mode and the fancy footwork begins .... lol. It's a time honored tactic with him and I should have realized that. : As far as mountains and molehills are concerned, I'm sure that there are a some people who really could care less what kinds of things get put into bow season (we've been hearing a lot from them lately) and perhaps the safeguarding of the integrity of bowseason is truly a molehill to them. It doesn't happen to be with me and yes I do worry about the constant erosion of bowseason equipment. If that's making mountains out of molehills, then pass me the shovel.

I'm a bit confused. What exactly is happening here that prompts this resolution? It sounds like trouble. And why is it only region 8 that is reacting? it sounds like a statewide structure change (if I'm reading it right).

I guess they must be primarily a farmland bird eh? We have a lot of what used to be farmland about 40 or 50 years ago, but most of it you have to use a bit of imagination or a real good memory to know that it was ever farmed ..... lol. I get the impression that that is probably not the best habitat for doves. Doc

Ha-ha .... an old hunting buddy of mine used to have a term he used to describe those deer that just all of a sudden "appear". He used to call them Parachute Deer because it was like they just silently came down from the sky without a sound. I've seen that happen. Look to the left....look to the right.....by the time you swing your head back again, there stands the deer. ;D Doc

The rump picture is one that I purposely left out because of the gruesome nature of the pic. In my opinion, it just didn't seem to be a proper thing to post on a family-style forum. It was a judgement call. Doc

Disclosing the recipe is one thing, but will there be provisions for visits to random sites to make surprise inspections and fluid tests to guarantee that the recipes supplied are what is actually being used?

You offer up a crossbow as a crutch that will solve your perception that vertical bows need some help with their shortfall of requiring practice. Of course stopping at just a crossbow is a limit that you do not have the power to control, do you? And, I am saying that that whole line of reasoning opens the door for those who would suggest that other weapons (and yes, guns) be included for exactly the same reason. Whether you personally would draw the line at crossbows or not is irrelevant. If you had bothered to read any of my replies, you would have known that I was not saying that you are for guns being included in bowseasons, but you are supplying the logic for others to do so. I understand that it may be more convenient to try to deflect with words like spin and word-twisting. You may have noticed that I get pretty "dug-in" when those tactics are used. Sorry about that but I simply will not let allegations like that stand without challenge.

Lol ..... That is like one of our ex-neighbors whose name was Harry Hole. Now was that just a joke on the kid or were the parents so whacked out that they didn't pick up on how that sounded?

Sorry, I'm not trying to wear anyone down. I just get a little testy when people try to dance away from their words and then accuse me of twisting their words because they can't defend what they originally said. I can only put up with so much of that before I start to dig my heels in.

Thanks for the link. I may have missed it, but I didn't see any info specifically on the issue of fracking. That topic is far different than discussions of natural gas and its uses and value. Maybe there are no internet sites where the gas companies take on the issue of this procedure and answers the allegations and fears that people have regarding this method of gas drilling, but that is really the information that I would like to see. That info in factual terms is what I would like to see from both sides.

I think you are missing what he said and to be honest I think you are blinded by you view that crossbows don't belong. Look at the quote. He was making a point it is not called bow season.....it is archery season and since a crossbow is archery epuipment is belongs on the archery season. Try reading the words instead of imagining up some story. He said his statement wasn't to add more weapons, it was to add crossbows. Crossbows are weapons. If you guys can read and write english, it's right there, two contradictory items right in the same sentence. I didn't make up the quote and I assumed he meant what he said. Sorry for making that leap.

The mark is from the pet-collar that they took off just before turning on the camera .....