Doc

I remember back in the 60's and 70's when a group of us bowhunters used to gather in one of the cubicles at work on a Monday morning and swap deer hunting stories. The deer were a bit scarce in our area back then. The topic of conversation usually was about the huge deer track that we ran across, or the doe that almost came in range. Once in a while someone would mention that they actually got a shot .... wow! If somebody actually shot a doe, that was the topic of conversation for quite a few days, and his hunting prowess was discussed throughout the whole local hunting population.....lol. Now today, that enthusiastic hunter gathering around the coffee pot on Monday morning has disappeared, but if occasionally you run into another group of bowhunters discussing the season, when someone is successful, the very first question is, "What did he score?" And if you want the conversation to continue, that number had better be significant. If all you can say is "Well actually it was a doe", that is a great way to end the conversation and watch everyone all of a sudden have some super urgent piece of work that has to be taken care of. What a change. No wonder people are dropping out of the sport.

I get those down at the Town Hall. It gives me a chance to check in with our Town clerk and the rest of my elected town officials and get updated on the latest town gossip. However, so far my Lifetime licenses come in the mail flawlessly without a hitch. I was a little concerned that now my licenses were at the mercy of the Postal Service, but so far I have no complaints with them or the DEC licensing departments. How about that ..... something that a government agency does without screwing it up. I'm sure your permits will show up in time ...... well, I'm pretty sure.

Well, unless the dog barks all night, chews up the hunting equipment of other hunters, leaves little piles and puddles all over the cabin floor, or bites people, or runs wild through the woods chasing everything that moves, I really don't see the harm of having the critter along. On the other hand I don't really see the need or purpose for dragging him along either. At any rate, it is great to outright own my own hunting land. It eliminates these kinds of petty arguments .... or those that are not so petty.

Ha-ha..... I really try not to get personally involved with my food. I do have to admit that there are times when I have to remind myself what I am really doing out there.

Ha-ha .... being one that is afflicted with a severe fear of heights, I can just imagine me hugging the bottom of the basket. Yes that would be a real fun time for me. However, for most people, I can imagine that it is a fun thing to be way up there with nothing but the sound of the air going by. What a view that must be. Especially over the gorge at Letchworth when all the trees are turned.

Of course you are all aware that NYS went a whole bunch of years with no coyotes at all, so the claim of their importance in our environment I think is way over-stated. Also it has to be said that coyotes enjoy a place at the top of their food chain with nothing but starvation and disease controlling their numbers. That is not a healthy situation in any habitat. Hunting and trapping should be utilized as a control tool to as large an extent as is possible just like any other species. The bunny huggers that see these animals as natures version of doggies have to get over this idea that they have some special place that puts them above needing control just like any other species. They do not come from the pet store.

We had one land in our hay lot a bunch of years ago. Also, we were down to Letchworth one year when they had a he balloon festival going. What a weird site that was.

By the way speaking of unusual weather related activity, did anyone other than us note the complete lack of tent caterpillars, and gypsy moths/caterpillars, and Japanese beetles? For quite a few years I have had a massive running battle with these critters in my fruit trees (actually, they killed two cherry trees and two apricot trees from defoliation. This year not a one showed up. I would have thought that with the more moderate winter last year it would have been a massive crop of these things and yet we got away without any. What have the rest of you been seeing as far as these tree-eating critters this year?

Well whatever it is it looks like it is full of berries (perhaps elderberries) which might make it some pretty messy raccoon poop.

Right now, the summer coats are being quickly replaced with the winter coats, and you will likely be seeing all kinds of coat variations with patches and lines and other blobs of mismatched hair of varying shades and colors for a while.

I would put a trail-cam looking at that bean-stalk. I read a story once where a giant tried to climb down one of those things. You'll be wanting a warning if a big gigantic foot and pant-leg starts showing up in those pictures

In my neck of NYS, flat ground doesn't happen. If you want to see strange, ever-changing wind currents, this is the place. And what I have noticed is that deer love the places where there is no real direction to the wind. Wind forecasts on TV news really does not correlate directly with what is going on here at home (Bristol). There are a few certain spots where the topography in specific general area wind directions will produce a consistent local result, and it has taken nearly my entire life to locate those spots to use when certain wind predicted directions are forecasted. But it's always a challenge that flatlanders are not faced with to the same extent that us hill people are. Topography vs. wind currents is a science all of its own, and there is way too little written on the subject.

When I take the ATV, it is just to get up the "killer" hill as quick as possible in the morning to avoid getting all sweated up. I park about 50 yards under the ridge of the hill and then walk up over the edge and then back on top of the hill to my stand. Stands vary from 2 or 3 hundred yards to about a quarter mile beyond where I park the ATV. The crest of the hill muffles the sound of the quad substantially. Lol ..... We don't seem to have any flat ground that isn't almost hands and knees climbing. The hill killed the next door neighbor in his mid 50's, so it does get to be something that has to be considered at my age. Does the ATV bother the deer? .... It depends on the individual deer. I have seen evidence of both reaction or no reaction. But if I am going to continue to hunt where I am, the ATV has to be part of my hunting equipment. The old legs don't do the job the way they used to.

Yeah, the last few days I have seen those gatherings of birds on the electric lines ....... jillions of them lined up shoulder to shoulder along the power lines. Not a good sign.

No glasses for shooting yet with these 73 year old eyes except for reading. So far so good.

Intensive target practice going on right now with the bow. Pretty soon the practice broadheads will be going on and we'll see how they are doing. Some years there are some surprises there. I've already had the .270 out several times this summer, and the results are a beautiful thing. Been using the .223 for off-hand shooting. The results there are adequate, but I need to get out a few more times just before season begins.

I assume that you have already had the "poop-chute" version of that procedure before. Now, there is a wonderful prep procedure. All that wonderful stuff to drink and sitting on the crapper for hours, as well as being starved to death. So, starvation was the worst of it for you this time....lol. I think I've got the other version of this scoping coming up soon. Not looking forward to that.

OK, now the sideshow is over. Start getting ready for Cannelo Alaverez vs. GGG. That will be an actual boxing exhibition that has some merit. I'm not making any predictions. Golovkin has had mixed outings of late, but when he puts his mind to it, nobody can touch him. Alaveraz looked unbeatable last time out. This will be a real boxing match without any clear favorites. By the way, how is it that a non-boxer lasted 10 rounds with Mayweather? Actually, if McGregor had been prepared to go the distance as a real boxer would have, the results may have been different. I was actually quite impressed with the fact that McGregor went 10 rounds in the shape he was in. He really kind of beat himself.

That graph is very telling and puts this whole climate change in perspective.

When are these cowardly masked thugs going to be labeled as exactly what they are.....A domestic terrorist group. Take a look at this video, and understand that they are an armed group of animals attacking, beating, and pepper spraying a peaceful assembly of citizens gathered to celebrate free speech. As you look at this video, you are looking at the new face of liberalism, but Democrats remain silent because these guys are doing their work for them in terms of shutting down free speech. It's time we started calling these thugs what they are .... terrorists. But don't expect those terms to be used by the liberal mouthpiece members of main-stream media or the Democratic leaders Pelosi, Waters, Schumer, and the like. They are too busy crucifying Trump for daring to identify these animals for what they are.

Last night I watched a recorded show on the Animal Planet channel called "I Was Prey" or something like that. It was about a guy that was walking home from work at night and was attacked by a bunch of coyotes. They worked him over pretty good, hacking him up all over his face and arms. They showed the damage. It wasn't pretty. He almost didn't make it. And then there was the fatal coyote attack on the Canadian singer Taylor Mitchell: http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2009/11/special-report-coyote-attacks-and-death-canadian-folk-singer-taylor-mitchell So perhaps an excess of coyotes is not a real good thing.

That wouldn't be a nice thing to hear. Isn't that considered to be an extreme sign of aggressive behavior and intentions?

Anybody ever try eating one of those things? Who knows .... Maybe they taste like chicken.

I suppose that it will eventually take that favorite track up into the northeast so we can be blessed with another monsoon season. But first things first. A few prayers for those folks down there are certainly in order.

Looks like a good spot.