Doc

Every year, I shell enough walnuts for the wife to use in her cooking. I use a vise to crack them. It takes an unbelievable amount of force to crack through that shell. The only thing that will stand up against that kind of force is the steel of the vise jaws, or a good hammer. I cannot picture a deer's mouth developing that kind of force. And then cracking them is only part of the job. The nut meats then have to be dug out of each of the little pockets with a nut-pick to separate the edible stuff from the sharp shards of rock-hard shell. They are not like the relatively soft acorns where once you get them shelled the one-piece nut-meat falls out. I can't see where a deer would even have the option of eating these.

I have to say that I have never seen a deer eat a hickory nut. I have cracked a jillion of them for cooking, and cannot imagine a deer having the clamping force necessary to crack the shell of a hickory nut. I use a bench vise to develop enough force. And then it is an amazing job to separate the intermingled nut-meats from the hard sharp shards of the fractured shell. I mean, it is not like the thin shelled acorns with the single large nut meat inside. Hickory nuts are one nasty little bugger to open up and the sort through to get the relatively small edible contents out of. Are you all sure that deer actually eat hickory nuts?

I believe we have not yet seen all the problems that will need to be addressed in the future. There will be problems of privacy also many abuses that we cannot even imagine yet. And when it comes to them being a tool of terrorism, that is coming too. If you are concerned about the invasive activities of the government into your personal lives, wait until it is a neighbor that you have to be concerned with....lol.

Probably my favorite hunting memory was that first pigeon hunt in the hay mow of the barn, using a hand-carved longbow that I carved from a hickory stave cut off the hill. Some un-fletched willow arrows and a whole bunch of time on my hands, and a new lifetime of hunting was born. I was age 11 at the time. My Mom cooked up the two pigeons that I got, and as I recall, they were pretty darn good tasting.

I see scouting as just one part or aspect of the hunt. And I see aerial surveillance as one step too far. I am getting the impression that many have drawn no lines, and all is fair in hunting. If technology can supply it, anything goes in hunting. But I always thought that was why people even talk about "fair chase". But, I could be wrong. Maybe it really is, "a dead deer at any cost, with no holds barred."

I imagine flying a drone would be great fun. I know that scouting is great fun. combining the two seems to me like a step too far when considering "fair chase" notions. Where do we draw the line in hunting equipment and methods? Do we draw any lines?

Ok......Now I recognize the movie. I didn't remember just the title. Actually, It seems like it was a long time ago that I saw it, like maybe a year or so. It was a great movie!

So these silly restrictions of the Safe Act have done what was intended by the pinko authors. They have confused and frightened the ammunition suppliers to the point where they are afraid to do business in NYS. The intent had nothing to do with gun safety or crime reduction. It was simply legislated harassment and frustration aimed squarely at law abiding gun owners.

I'll bet that most of the dogs running around the woods are family house pets that people let run free. I'd hate to say how many people over the years I've heard say that they wanted to move to the country so their dogs could "run free". That is just a lot of irresponsible nonsense, but there are way too many people with that kind of screwed up thinking. People that would allow their pets to become problems for the environment and their neighbors, should take their damn dogs and move back to the city where that kind of irresponsibility is expected. We don't need their "free-range dogs" raising havoc in our woods or yards or properties. I had some big old mutt that decided to claim my yard as his domain and stood there barking and growling at me until I re-emerged from the house with the 12 gauge. Then he finally got control of himself and decided that getting out of there was the prudent thing to do. I also had a visiting bowhunter that was kept in his treestand by some cross-breed, Cujo-style dog for quite a while. I told him he should have shot the damn thing. I'm not sure what is such a mystery about the fact that a pet owner has a responsibility to maintain absolute control of their animals all the time. There is not any acceptable excuse for any pet to be unsupervised and not in total control. I also know that some people use the rural areas as dumping grounds for all kinds of pets that people don't want to have anymore. So, they take a little drive in the country and drop their critters off to fend for themselves. Just a little gift to the people that live out here. Thanx a lot folks!

Yes, they seemed to be encountering more problems than you would want to. But, it still looks like they took it all in stride and still had a lot of fun. It could have been worse, as Burt Reynolds and crew found out in "Deliverance". I couldn't figure out if they were really supposed to be hunting or whether the bow was for self-protection.

You know, if I had kept records over the years, I probably would find that my first compound, the old 6 wheel Bear Whitetail with the crow-bar epoxy limbs is probably the most prolific bow in terms of deer harvests of any of the fancy, expensive bows on my wonderful wall of super-bows. I did the thing where I had to have the latest and the greatest every time I turned around. I have a pretty impressive collection that represents a pile of money. Well when I finally bought my last super-bow, I declared that short of the thing exploding in my face, the MQ-32 would be the last bow I would buy. So far I have stayed true to my word.

Sure, I and many others have tried to turn back the tide of the changing culture. It is similar to banging your head against the wall and just as effective. It has nothing to do with rallies and gatherings or even politics. It has to do with changing the hearts and minds of kids who see nothing "cool" in hunting, and would much rather sit on the couch exercising their thumbs with the latest communications device or game, and who will look at you like you're nuts if you happen to mention anything that has to do with stepping outdoors and wandering around the woods. That is just before they break out laughing in your face and then say, "Oh, were you being serious?"

By the way, Kolb has been a very vocal opponent of the safe act from day one. I don't want anyone to take Jdubs misinformed rant seriously. The man has never wavered in his gun owner's support, and is as good an opponent for Andy as anyone. What we don't need are these closet Cuomo supporters trying to dilute any opposition to the Governor. We gun owners seem to have a hard enough time uniting without these kinds of negative talking points on anyone willing to run against our little state tyrant.

When I was a kid, we had domestic dogs get into our sheep. They ran from one to another killing or wounding one sheep after another with no signs that they were ingesting any parts of them. we later found a neighbor a few farms down that owned the dogs, and the authorities conducted an investigation, and found wool jammed in between their teeth and they were destroyed. I do not recall if the owners were prosecuted for anything at all. With no leash-laws in effect, I doubt that they did. So it is not hunger that causes dogs to chase and kill. It is irresponsible dog owners that do not control their animals along with a borne-in instinct to chase and kill. These dogs were family pets that played with the owner's kids. Very friendly and very well fed animals. We caught them in the act, but had no weapon in hand. Otherwise we would have shot them. No, it is not the dogs fault. It is just something that they will do when given the chance. But in our case, we would have liked to protect our property, and would have done so had we had the chance. If the dog-owners won't keep control of them, we would have solved the problem in a minute if we had the opportunity. It's a shame when the dogs have to pay for the owner's irresponsibility, but the problem needed a solution.

My old Mathews MQ-32 is only 9 years old and still killing deer, so I probably have a lot of other things that are more worthy of spending my cash on. Hopefully it will be the bow that I am clutching in my cold dead hands up on the hill on my last hunt ..... lol.

I'm waiting for the heat-seeking arrows to spend my money on. Automatic ranging and sighting is great, but somebody has to come up with some technology that doesn't involve all that stuff and takes the steadiness, form and archery skills completely out of the equation. Come-on you crazy tech-wizard engineers. Let's really get some tech into this sport......lol.

Back in the mid-80s, four of us guys from work went on a moose bowhunting trip. We went to a place in Ontario Canada called Shining Tree. That was the location of our outfitter's camp (legally compulsory). We got our licenses and then drove for miles on some dirt road to a good sized lake, parked the trucks, unloaded an 8 foot motor boat which towed two canoes a few miles to the other end of the lake, a 150 yard portage into another lake and then all the way to the end of that lake. We pulled up to an open spot on the shore and pitched a tent camp. We were in deep! Now, flash back a few weeks before we left. I had a dog that loved to play tug-of-war with an old towel. While she was doing this, she would work up a terrible low growl with snarling and all kinds of menacing sounds that were absolutely ferocious. So using a portable tape recorder, I taped a long tug-of-war session, and hid the tape player in my sleeping bag. So that first night in camp jillions of miles from anywhere, we were all sitting around the campfire swapping stories and remarking how desolate this place was with absolutely no sign of humans or civilization. Pretending that I had to go out into the darkness to take a leak, I snuck the tape player with me. I had put a 15 minute empty leader on the front of the tape so I could get back to the fire and everybody would just forget that I had even been out there. All of a sudden there was this loud, bone-chilling, terrible, snarling, and growling threat coming out of the darkness not all that far from the camp. The damn thing was loud and really quite terrifying. Of course this was a bowhunting trip so there were no guns, and everyone was diving for flashlights, knives, arrows, and any defensive thing they could lay there hands on. The panic was hysterical, but I kept myself under control and played along. Then with my best conjured up bravado, I volunteered to go out into the darkness and chase the thing away from the camp. Hey man, just like John Wayne. Amazingly enough, the others followed as back-up …… but way-way back. Stalking my way in the pitch darkness, I finally got to the tape player and dove on it and wrestled around on the ground a bit before I finally held up the player and declared the intruder dead. Things got a bit tense for a few minutes as they all discussed throwing me in the lake. But they all took it well and realized that they had been had. Fortunately I didn't wind up in the lake and it is something we still joke about whenever we run into each other.

For Release: IMMEDIATELY, January 19, 2018 Contact: Mike Fraser, office: (518) 455-3751; cell: (518) 859-8518 SAFE ACT DEADLINE CAUSING CONCERNS ACROSS NY Legislative Column from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I,Ref-Canandaigua) When the SAFE Act was passed in 2013, few expected its implementation to go smoothly. The secretive and offensive process by which the bill was rammed through the Legislature was only the beginning of the issues to come. Today, localities around the state are preparing to overcome yet another logistical nightmare the SAFE Act has created, thanks to a cumbersome pistol recertification process that is causing problems for both gun owners and municipal officials. It’s no surprise the law is, again, a point of contention for New Yorkers as it was haphazardly passed in the dead of night with little time for legislative input or public discussion. As a result of the SAFE Act’s passage, gun owners are required to recertify their pistol permits with the New York State Police by January 31. COUNTY CLERKS ARE UNDER THE GUN The recertification requirement might have sounded like a good idea to politicians drafting a bill in Albany. But the practical application of the law isn’t going over well with the men and women who actually have to carry out these new duties. County clerks across the state, who will verify the information submitted to the State Police, have expressed frustration over the tremendous administrative burden the provision will create. In addition, there are legitimate concerns that too many gun-owners are unaware of the requirement and unsure of how to proceed. I have written to Gov. Cuomo recommending that the state extend the deadline one year to give county clerks, many of whom were newly installed just a few weeks ago, a chance to prepare for the full brunt of this unfunded mandate thrust upon them. Further, sheriffs, clerks and other local officials have struggled to adequately answer questions from gun owners, as the law is simply too unclear. More time and information are needed before moving forward. Otherwise, we risk doing far more harm than good. DESPITE FLAWS, IT’S CRITICAL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS Since its inception, I have said the SAFE Act is the worst piece of legislation I have ever seen. The law does more to punish law-abiding gun owners than keep New Yorkers protected. Its original language was so convoluted that the bill, at times, contradicted itself. As a result of the recertification provision, which requires paperwork on guns already legally obtained, owners risk confiscation of their weapons. This is an affront to law-abiding gun owners and our Constitutional rights. Further, failure to recertify could potentially carry a felony conviction, which would result in the forfeiture of all firearms. I will continue to advocate for common-sense laws that protect New Yorkers while respecting the Second Amendment. Until the SAFE Act is repealed, replaced or amended, the governor must consider the ramifications the January 31 deadline carries. And, to legal gun owners, I call upon you to stay apprised of the many requirements the SAFE Act imposes and encourage you to comply with the law until a more effective and judicious system is implemented. What do you think? I want to hear from you. Send me your feedback, suggestions and ideas regarding this or any other issue facing New York State. You can always contact my district office at (315) 781-2030, email me at [email protected], find me by searching for Assemblyman Brian Kolb on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter. -30- Contact Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb District Office: 607 West Washington Street, Suite 2, Geneva, NY 14456, Phone: (315) 781-2030 Albany Office: 933 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248, Phone: (518) 455-3751 E-mail: [email protected] Find me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter

I always wonder about all the pasty faced people slogging along the shoulder of the road deeply inhaling all the exhaust fumes of every car, truck, or bus that goes by. What keeps them enduring the torture that is clearly etched on their face as they do some combination of running, staggering, and dragging there feet, day after day after day. Does it really do that much good in extending their lives? I guess they reall believe that such torture will eventually lead to immortality. But does that contribute to a wonderful lifestyle? That death-mask of a grimace on their faces kind of tells me that they really are not having a great time.....lol. I suppose if the only alternative is to live on the couch, maybe that form of torture is required to keep them breathing. But it seems to me there must be some middle ground. This growing herd of bicyclers is kind of the same thing. Mile after mile of pedaling and again deeply sucking in all those hydrocarbons while staring, mindlessly at the next couple of feet of pavement has to be terribly exciting. Maybe it has something to do with all that great shiny spandex and that goofy looking helmet that they get to wear. Actually the exciting part has to be pedaling along the road with cars zipping by, inches away, going at 60 MPH or more. What a rush! Is this what is required to survive in this life?

I have to work on keeping my sugar under control. What a struggle that is. I went to a dietician who set me up with a very simple carb-counting diet (60 carbs per meal). It is amazing the variety of foods that can be crammed into 60 carbs. Also, I have accepted that it is not the end of the world if once in a while I cheat a bit. I have never gotten into the condition where I had huge amounts to lose, so it all just becomes a lifestyle tweak to keep things regulated.

The prime motivator that involved me in hunting was the fact that everyone I knew hunted. It was the social thing to do at the time. That reason is long gone now, and what keeps me involved is the second category, "To test my outdoor skills". Being a huge fan of outdoor activities and the hunting heritage that I grew up in, that is a prime motivator for my hunting. Of course a trophy here and there is a bonus, but that is not the driver that gets me buying licenses and equipment and heading out in the woods.

So far no one has mentioned the cultural changes that impact hunting. In my mind, this is the real threat to the future of hunting. I come from a time when opening day of trout season, and opening day of gun season were acceptable excuses for school absence. I remember coming off the trap line and still wearing my hunting knife on my belt in school. Try that today....lol. I am from a time when many kids supplemented their school clothes budget with proceeds from their trap-line. When I started hunting, posted signs were an oddity. Few farmers had the time or the desire to tack them up and few of the owners of small family farms had any desire to keep hunters off their land. Hunter kept the destructive critter under control which meant more money in the farmer's pocket. Huge family get-togethers always had the men break off into the living room to swap hunting stories and talk about the deer that they got or saw. Every Monday morning at work there was a sizeable gathering at the coffee pot to discuss the weekend hunt. During the season, deer were openly transported on the fender of the car or hung in a tree in the front yard. Today we quickly conceal the carcasses in the bed of the truck and when we get them home, they are quickly put in some out of the way place or immediately packaged up before the snide remarks start coming from neighbors. As a part of rural America, kids always looked forward to the time when they could take part in hunting just like all the hunting adults around us. We all listened in as the adults would discuss their hunting exploits. Today the kids yawn at such discussions if they occur and silently slip away to play their latest techno-game. It was a whole different world as the society and cultures have changed over the decades. Hunting has lost its honorable place in our society and is now looked at as a rather low-brow act of unnecessary brutality against the poor little helpless and defenseless forest creatures. The evolution of societal attitudes has been slow and crept over us in an insidious way such that many don't even recognize it today. And this is how the future of hunting will fade. The allure of technology and the so-called enlightenment of the population will replace the pastimes of the past. It is just another manifestation of the worship of change for change's sake.

I have seen an awful lot of hunting seasons, and yes I think there is a very big difference in today's hunters vs that of hunters back in the late 50's when I started hunting. It is true that antlers were always the standard in deer hunting. Yes everyone wanted that big ol' 12 point that everyone claimed to see and no one ever got. But they were happy with the 4-point that they got and wanted everyone to see it. Today's hunters feel an entitlement to that 12 point. Those that get a 4 point today are ridiculed and belittled. I have to wonder how that little change impacts the enthusiasm for hunting. So now hunters start off with expectations that they will get some trophy deer or must feel a total failure at hunting if they don't. There are plenty of TV programs, videos, to make them feel that way too. So now in an effort to fare well in the hunting community, more and more people are devoting thousands of dollars to buying and locking up land. They spend ungodly gobs of money buying tractors and other ag equipment hoping to lure the neighbors deer onto their own property. If the state would allow it, they would be buying feeders to put their deer at an exact spot from their blind in an attempt to buy their way into what they consider hunting success. We have even created scoring systems to tell us when we can declare success and be happy with our abilities. There is no cost too high when it comes to buying a trophy. No, I doubt that we will turn around in a couple of years an wonder where everybody went. The changes are a very slow evolution, but they are there. Are they good changes? Time will tell. They are not changes that enthuse me, but then I don't have that many years to worry about it....lol.

I'm not too sure that license holders represents the number of those actually hunting or the actual level of participating hunters. I know people who annually buy licenses "just in case", and never step a foot in the woods. I also have noticed that actual participation has severely dwindled among even those that do make it out. Judging from the cars at state parking lots. and hunter tracks in the snow, and the level of shooting, I would say there are a lot of one-day hunters that take opening day to hunt and that ends their season. Many days hunters become 1/2 day hunters. All that is very different from deer seasons past. Yes, they all get counted, but do they really hunt. Then too, just a raw count of all hunting licenses does not tell you much about whether they are hunting deer, geese, squirrels, or again, just carrying a license in their wallet in case somebody coaxes them out into the woods. Also look at the variety of separate licenses sold today as compared to 30 or 40 or 50 years ago.

One thing to remember with all these vehicles is that they all stop the same way as any 2 wheel drive vehicle. They can get you going a lot faster than their ability to stop just like 2WD. Also, we use to have a saying that 4WD allows you to get stuck in more inaccessible places .... lol. I suppose that still applies with today's vehicles too.