Doc

That is a great catch for a 50 trap line. Any idea as to what that all converted to in money? What size traps do you use for coyotes? The last time I ran a line, coyotes weren't even around here.I still have a pile of Victor coil spring #2 traps and a lot of Conibear traps for muskrats (#110, I believe) and another pile of #1 and 1-1/2 legholds. Who knows, I may set out a line some day. I would have to get my trapper certification though. Doc

A semi-interesting article on AR showed up in the latest issue of New York Outdoor News. The article was written by Oak Duke. Unfortunately I thought it was a bit short on details and references, but maybe the more interesting results of the article will be the future letters from the readers regarding this article ..... lol. I do wish he had provided some access info to the studies he referred to. It was basically an anti-AR article and some of you might find it interesting. Doc

I would start by going to a gun store and buying the Hornady reloading manual. The first part of the book shows a lot of "how to" information and also gets into some of the details of what to do and why. However, even with this book and any others that I can think of, there is still no substitute for having someone right there, on site, to show you how. Reloading ammo requires a high level of precision and know-how or there is a certain level of danger involved in incorrectly loaded ammo. I guess that's pretty obvious, but no harm in stating the obvious when safety is involved. For that reason, I highly recommend that if at all possible, you find someone who knows what they are doing and is willing to spend a bit of time with you helping with the equipment buying decisions and the proper use of that equipment. I think that is the best and most important advice I can give. I don't want to scare you about reloading. It is extremely safe and not all that complicated if you have the proper understanding of the process and equipment. Doc

My first impression is that there is an awful lot of "non-cutting" frontal surface that must be shoved through the meat. I don't know, but a lot of that looks like stuff that would inhibit penetration. That's just a guess of course. They do look like a pretty sturdy broadhead. The in-flight size of the head is still 1", which I would guess gives back a lot of the advantage that people are looking for in collapsible mechanical broadheads. All of that mechanism only adds 1/2" to the cutting diameter. More info: http://www.newarchery.com/products/1-1/broadheads/bloodrunner.html As far as whether or not the deployed blades act like a barb, that of course depends on whether the blades collapse back down when pulled backward through meat. I guess that is the real test at least I think that was the intent, that an arrow in a non-vital spot should have the ability to come back out without hooking. I'm not sure that head actually does. It kind of looks like it might not. I can't see how a force on the back of the blades in a line with the axis of the arrow would make those blades go down. Can't really tell a lot from a picture though. Doc

I guess that means that you have no answer for my question about why muzzleloaders require a separate season from the rest of the firearms users. That's ok, I didn't really think you could come up with one. Doc

You may hunt with a "flintlock with patched round balls and open sites", but that isn't the way the muzzleloader seasons are defined in NYS is it? So what is the justification for having a season for scoped, in-line, muzzleloaders that is separate and apart from shotguns and rifles? I am still curious about the answer to that question. Perhaps instead of taking an unhealthy and I must say, weird interest in how relaxed my sphincter is, maybe you could try to actually answer that question some time. As far as what kind of bowhunting instructor you may or may not be, I will bite my tongue and withold my assumptions on that as I try to imagine what kind of bowhunter would ever champion stirring firearms into bow seasons. I won't mention anything about my assumption that most bowhunters understand the value of trying to pattern and set-up on relatively undisturbed deer....lol. At any rate, your comments about the whining bowhunters, and how we think we own the woods kind of tells the story on where your biases lie. Doc

So how many trappers do we actually have here. I trapped for a lot of years and eventually gave it up. I am curious how many people still run a trapline. It used to be a big deal in rural communities and a lot of us boys used to trap just to buy school clothes and get a few items that we wanted. In recent years, I don't even hear anything about traplines in casual conversation. I kind of got the impression that it is an activity that has all but disappeared. It's a real shame because there is no other activity that I can think of that teaches more about self-reliance, woodslore, and the habits of all the wild critters around us. So, is there anyone here that still runs a trapline? Doc

Ha-ha ..... good one! Doc

Yes, I understood your point the first time. You simply want to do away with all special seasons and turn the whole archery time slot into a free-for-all where anyone can pick up anything and use it. Let's face it, that's what it all boils down to.....right? You don't understand why archery requires a special season, unique and separate from firearms. Frankly, I don't happen to agree with that. You obviously don't have a clue what the hunter densities are like down here or you wouldn't even entertain such a foolish idea for even a second. Or perhaps you are an archer in name only and really don't understand the conditions required to actually harvest a deer with a bow. I do not want to bowhunt under the carnival atmosphere that apparently you want to. I don't want to feel like I must wear blaze orange just to bowhunt safely, and I don't want to find myself trying to bowhunt in the middle of a deer drive, and I would like to at least have a chance to utilize somewhat uninterrupted deer patterns in order to get within the range demanded by archery equipment without gunners driving the deer into nocturnal patterns. Those are the reasons the original archery season was divorced from gun seasons, and they are all still darn good reasons. Those reasons involve safety and practicality. And yet some of the muzzleloader people want to lay claim to that part of the season too. Talk about selfish. My gosh even the rifle and shotgun hunters aren't that darn piggish. And speaking of rifle and shotgun hunters, what feature is it about a muzzleloader that makes you think that you should be treated any different from them. Other than the single shot feature, (which is shared with a lot of the shotguns and rifles), the muzzleloader is equal to or better than many of the shotguns and rifles that are relegated to the regular deer seasons. So if you have this hatred for bowhunters because they demand truly justifiable separate seasons and are trying to legitimately exclude firearms, what must you be thinking about your own motives and how do you justify wanting to have special priviledges with your muzzleloader over your fellow gun hunters when you really don't have any legitimate reasons for doing so. You seem to be quite willing to leave your other gun hunters behind relegated to just the regular big game season. Maybe when you speak of "Either we are together or we arent", you ought to take a look in the mirror. Doc

I don't think anyone is arguing with that. Seeing as to how the bill is reportedly sitting on Patterson's desk, I don't think anyone is doubting that it is practically law. And certainly the money-maker comment has been proven more than once. In case you lost your place, my comments were aimed at your reply where you seem to be longing for bowhunters to step aside and hand over their season to the muzzleloaders. It seems that everybody is sizing up the existing bow season with a jealous eye and trying to figure how to shoe-horn their way in without having to go through all that tedious nonsense of actually learning archery. A lot of people have begun to view the bowhunting season as an easy mark and ready for a hostile take-over ..... lol. Doc

Just thought I would bring this question back to the top in case somebody (maybe a new member) had heard something since this thread was last commented on. I'm still curious. Doc

I just started bowling .......... I have found out that I have no ability at that whatever......lol. But it's still kind of fun and it gets me out of this stinking heat. I also do some landscape painting, a bit of stone polishing, hiking (nearly daily), fishing, camping, target shooting (bow and rifle), reloading (winter) and a whole bunch of yard and garden work. Doc

But it is an unhappy but true observation isn't it?

Lol ...... That is a little above and beyond the call of duty. Besides, that sounds like it would have the potential of turning the hunter into bait ......... Probably not a great idea. Doc

Back when I was a kid, you would see deer hanging from trees in people's yards for days. It was the common thing. Often they hung there with the sun beating on them all day and then freezing back up at night. I remember being invited to eat some of that abused venison, and it was some pretty nasty tasting stuff. It's an embarrassing situation to sit there at the dining room table fighting back the urge to toss your cookies, and trying to be polite about it all. I can't remember whether it was any more tender, because the main memory I was left with was the disgusting flavor. Thank heavens people have gotten a lot smarter regarding treating harvested meat. And yet as recently as 2 years ago, I saw a tiny doe dangling from a tree at a neighbors a couple miles up the road, for about 2 weeks and watched it disappear a little bit each day as these people went out and hacked off a dinner each night. The thought kind of turns your stomach....lol. Doc

Depending on size, it has the look of coyote scat ....... if smaller could be fox.

Oh gee fellas ...... In the words of that great American Rodney King ..... "can't we all just get along?" I guess all the divisive language pitting hunter against hunter really doesn't come from just the bowhunters after all does it?

Lol ....... You are surprised?

Do not compare hunting conditions of the northern zone to those of the southern zone. There is no comparison. Hunter densities are no where near the same. Not only that, but simply because a bad idea has been implemented in one part of the state does not make it a good idea to stuff it into the rest of the state.

A couple of years ago we had the same thing with the demolished bird feeders and the garbage strewn up through the woods. Now the garbage is kept shut in a shed, and the bird feeder is mounted on a cable that runs from the house to a tree up on the bank behind the house. We haven't had any problems since. As far as bear aggressiveness is concerned, I think that with the increase of bear populations in areas of high human density, it is only a matter of time before there is some pretty tragic incidents. When they lose their natural fear of humans, there will be some ugly things happening. Doc

That video was hilarious! It seems like Jeff Foxworthy could do something with that little clip. Doc

What a surprise....... Have you ever seen a crossbow discussion end any other way? It seems to be a subject that hunters just can't handle. Civility seems to eventually go right out the window when the word "crossbow" shows up on a forum. It's guaranteed. Doc

hey Doc the vert compound bow was invented in the 70s, only 40 years ago and has in no way reached the end of the tracks as far as technology or performance, if that were the case we would still be driving Studebakers and flying cross country in prop planes.there will be advancements in crossbow technology and vert compound technology both, and those things will have to be delt with as we come to those bridges, 400 fps vert compound bows are just about here... I've yet to see the relevance of dates of invention to anything regarding the crossbow issue. I guess it makes good filler when all arguments have been exhausted. And believe me all arguments have been completely exhausted on this issue...... from both sides....lol. Doc

Another one who completely lost (or ignored) the whole point of the reply. Doc