Doc

That's actually good news. If the crunchy snow can't be melted away and replaced with a quieter variety of snow, the next best thing is for it to be covered up with new snow . Doc

But the question is: is the lack of shooting or hunting activity due to scarcity of deer, or crappy weather, or is it really a sign of reduced hunter participation? Is this the first year that you all have noticed a continued quieting of seasons or have you all like me noticed that every year the hunting crowd gets smaller and the shooting gets less regardless of the deer population. What I don't know is if this is a local phenomenon or whether other areas of the state are experiencing it. My theory is that the number of hunters is shrinking slightly every year, but what is shrinking even faster is the actual participation and enthusiasm of those that are left. I seem to see an awful lot of 1-day hunters or 1/2 day hunters. The numbers of cars of hunters at state parking lots, along the road, and in local driveways seems to be only a tiny percent of what they used to be. And of course there are the changes in the amount of shooting on days that were typically hopping with hunter activity that many have already commented on. That is only a theory that is based on observations in a very small area. What do you all think? Are today's hunters becoming less active and enthused? Doc

Chocolate ...... chocolate ....... chocolate tapioca (even better) ...... chocolate with whipped cream on top (really good) ..... chocolate ........ no instant!!! ...... chocolate!!! Much better tasting than antlers ..... ha-ha. ;D

I have a massive database that spans almost 30 years that has been obsoleted many times in terms of useful data. There are patterns that seem to last a few years but in every case dissappear or get modified severely due to forces that I cannot always identify. Some of the reasons for shifting patterns are obvious, such as maturing of brushlots into more mature growth, severe ice storms that physically blocked some areas and trails, changing food sources, massive changes in land use (hikers, bikers, small game hunters, etc.) and other more subtle pattern interrupters. also there are pattern changes that have no obvious reasons whatever other than perhaps just a different generation of deer with different needs. I no longer use my database in any analytical way because most of the info has been obsoleted over the years. Yes, I suppose the cameras are just one more thing that can change patterns (probably temporarily if all else stays the same). But one thing I have come to accept is that cameras or not, there will always be changes, and scouting in an annual fashion is always required to stay in touch with those changes and the latest generation of deer that use the area. Doc

Dark chocolate pudding (cooked style .... not instant) is by far my favorite. I can eat it until I get sick! Off topic but I don't care.

In our little corner of the state, one of the worst things imaginable has happened. That sloppy wet snow on Wednesday froze and like Culvercreek said, it froze and has turned to a loud, crunchy, mess that you simply can't walk on without broadcasting your arrival way ahead of you. Further, that is likely to stay that way unless it gets buried under a whole lot more snow. On these days that have no one out there moving deer around, when you take away the effectiveness of still-hunting, there aren't a whole lot of practical options left. The only thing I can think of is drives. I don't know what other parts of the state have this same noisey situation, but it will be a real handicap here for guys that still have tags to fill. Doc

That was what the last category was trying to indicate. I realized that there may be some that get kind of close to 50-50 so I figured that I should include a choice that handled that. My hunting is somewhat mixed too, but in my situation, the overwhelming amount of my deer bowhunting occurs on state land. So based on the "most" qualifier, I put down state land. The one selection that is surprising me a bit is the low number of people who hunt as guests on friend's, relative's or other people's land (permission from farmers as one example). I would have expected that one to be much higher. The selection that involves wide open private land is no surprise since there is almost no such land anymore ...... lol. It will be interesting to see if these trends change as time goes on and more people participate.

I was checking mine every day ..... lol. It got kind of addicting.

There is a bit of a pattern starting that shows that most of the people on this forum own, lease, or in some way have complete control of the land that they hunt. Also, I am surprised how it is beginning to look like fewer people are using state land. I know state public land has gotten some pretty bad press in terms of hunting conditions and safety and maybe people are starting to feel that if they are going to hunt it will be on their own land or not at all. During gun season, I have noticed fewer and fewer people hunting the land that I hunt. That is a big change from just a couple decades ago. Sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad. Bow season is still pretty crowded, and not just with bowhunters either. I wish there was some way to expand this poll outside of the forum just to see if there are some actual shifting patterns as far as public land usage is concerned.

Yup! the jury is still out as far as I am concerned as to whether the trail cams are disturbing deer patterns. I know they are not fooled about something being there. I have gotten too many deer "face shots". I purposely went with the IR cameras to keep from exposing the deer to constant flashes. However, I think there is a concern over leaving scent whenever checking the cameras. Not only is scent deposited everytime you visit the camera-site, but the cameras themselves gather and hold scent. What I have noticed is that the older bucks seem to be caught on camera just once and then it appears they travel somewhere else. The does and younger bucks don't seem to be bothered much by the camera even though they occasionally come right up to it and show that they absolutely know it's there. My problem is that trail-cams have now become a bit of a hobby all by themselves. I just like seeing what's running around when I'm not there. So I'm not likely to stop ..... lol. What I most likely will do is to not leave the cameras in the same place for as long a time. Also, I will start setting cameras up somewhere other than directly where I am hunting. I think checking them les frequently than I have wouldn't hurt either. I will also start setting them a little higher where possible, angling them downward. Setting up farther from the trail (as far as possible while still getting acceptable pictures) wouldn't be a bad idea either. Also will probably start using some of that scent-away (just in case the stuff actually works .... lol). Doc

It's a real shame that they shot that deer before it really matured. What is the problem with letting these little ones walk? ;D

I hope no one thought that I was comparing the intelligence of a deer to that of a human. My point is that it cannot be said that deer are dumb. In the animal kingdom, I would say that they rank right up there. The fact that they get whacked on the highway probably speaks more to their faulty timing than the fact that they disregard autos as a threat. Also, they have another fault that even though occasionally lethal, can be seen as one of the building blocks of intelligence ..... that would be curiosity. That may be the reason for the occasional deer that tries to stare-down an oncoming vehicle. There may also be depth perception problems when looking into vehicle headlights .... I don't know, that's something I haven't personally tried .... lol. More than likely there are a lot of reasons why deer get smacked by a car, and probably none of them have much to do with stupidity. Doc

It is that Noticing of patterns and reacting in some fairly clever defensive ways that are the indicators of intelligence. No, they don't sit down and write articles on evasive maneuvers or things like that. And no they do not rival all humans in terms of intellect (some, but not all .... lol) but they do show the ability to learn, adapt and even perform some fundamental reasoning. Of course it is all relative, but it's never really a good idea to sell a deer short in the area of intelligence. On many occasions, I have found out the hard way that deer do have a far better level of intelligence than I ever used to give them credit for. Their ability to detect hunter presence and then to figure out defenses to mess up the best laid plans of hunters indicates that they do use some form of fundamental memory, reasoning, crude analysis, and problem solving. Those are all elements of intelligence and sometimes, as hunters, it pays not to underestimate that intelligence. Doc

So other state funds that has traditionally been used to conduct DEC activities are removed. It all results in the resources for the agency being severely cut regardless of whether it actually comes from the conservation fund or not. It really doesn't make any difference which pail it comes out of, it all has the same effect as raiding the Conservation Fund and the results are exactly the same. Let's face it, regardless of which set of resources the cuts have been coming from, the severe multiple raids on the DEC over the past few years have reduced the agency to a level of total ineffectiveness.

That is amazing. No instinct at work there ...... just simply intelligent learned behavior (by an animal with a brain the size of a peanut..... lol). That's got my "pasture gate hook" example with the goat beat all to heck. Doc

Maybe it had to do with Homeland Security ......... Oh it wasn't That Cairo? ;D I guess the multiple shots meant that he didn't want him to get away. I think this "sheriff's officer" had better work on his marksmanship along with getting his eyesight looked after..... Maybe he was carrying one of those flasks too ;D . Doc

Interesting question. I assume we have no laws covering fallow deer. So does that mean that it is unprotected and eligible for hunting or does that mean that since there is no specified season that allows hunting them, they cannot be hunted? Suppose one of PA's elk wandered up this way ...... would they be legal to shoot? I have no idea. Doc

Where do you do most of your bowhunting? Private land that you have control over (Ownership, lease, exclusive landowner permission to invite or exclude hunters, etc.) Guest on land owned or controlled by others Wide open private land that has no controls, maintenance or restrictions Public land (all kinds) evenly divided between two or more of the above categories Doc

I'm not sure exactly what the guys are getting for coyote pelts these days, but I'm sure it's way more than the value of the few minutes it takes to skin one out. If you are getting enough of them, you likely can make back the cost of some of your equipment and hunting supplies pretty easy. As for myself, I don't think we have enough of them to make a significant amount of money, in fact if I get one I'll be happy .... lol. So if I do get one, more than likely I will re-learn my hide tanning skills from back when I was a kid and make a wall-hanging for my den. Also for those that just get one, a mount can be kind of great in a den or trophy room. Personally, I would not want to hunt them just to leave them lay in the woods. I don't have any particular objection to those that might feel that's what they want to do, but it's just a personal thing with me. Since there are ways to dispose of them profitably, I view them as a resource that I would have to use. If you really are at a loss as to what to do with the any coyotes you may get, simply give them to a local trapper. They probably would really appreciate it. Doc

I think it will be fine as long as the meat that you saved smelled alright. The deer I got this years had all kinds of wounds from one end to the other with a very serious wound covering the entire rear. After butchering, and having cut all the bad stuff off, the meat smelled like meat ..... that's a good thing. If all of a sudden I stop posting you will know that the meat wasn't really good after all ...... lol. I like the idea of having your buddy be a test case....lol. It seems only fair Doc

The other day when we only got a couple inches of snow, the whole face of the cameras were glopped up with snow. That was the main reason I pulled them. How do you keep them functioning once we start getting regular snow storms? Doc

I pulled my cameras for the winter. It won't be too long before they are all covered up with snow anyway. Do you guys leave them out year around? Doc

Frankly, I would be surprised if Cuomo would have even the slightest interest in whether crossbows are used or not. Most likely someone would first have to explain to him just what a crossbow is..... ;D .

Mother nature can be a cruel wild game manager. It's seldom very pretty.

I suppose the difference between fact and opinion lies in whether anyone else agrees or not with the statement.....lol. Well, not to belabor the point, but to explain just what I was responding to, here is the actual text of the reply that I was referring to: I'll leave it to others to determine what is fact and what is opinion. Apparently there is not universal agreement. So anyway, almost all of the "opinions" that you feel weren't warranted, simply reflected exactly what you said, just in different words. The fact is that those comments were right on target and in my mind were warranted. And I'm thankful that those issues were raised. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that I took exception when you followed up later saying: "nobody's opinion was warranted" (that's a quote). I didn't read anything about rude, presumptive, or maligning of character or any of that. I responded to exactly what you said. Now if you want to start modifying what you meant by "nobodys opinion" then that's a different discussion. There are a lot of people here that take a zero tolerance attitude when it comes to alcohol and hunting. I am one of them. And I don't try to condemn anyone for stating that belief in whatever terms they wish whether that be opinion, fact or something else. Sorry to dwell on the point, but when someone says that "nobody's opinion was warranted" on a forum, I simply don't agree with that no matter what the subject. Doc