Thebluesman5748

BLACK BEAR INVASION: Headed back to camp last Thursday 10/31 for another 5 days of hunting - Upon my arrival and to my surprise I found the inside of the tent destroyed - The bear's had paid me a visit and certainly left their mark - They busted up 2 tables (contents everywhere) and clawed up the back of my elk tent (canvass) really bad - My propane cooking stove was strewn about but repairable - Had nothing but un-opened can goods on table along with my booze - Had potatoes -onions- and other misc items in a 5gal sealed container but nothing worked - They chewed up cans of beans and soup like it was bubble gum - They even ate my "onions" - and here's the kicker - I had a full bottle of dark rum (plastic container) and found it outside all chewed up so one of them apparently left with a buzz on (HA-HA) and that's the truth -My wood stove was jarred from its location but I built a "safety device" around it so it couldn't be knocked over by someone - or - something - and none of the exhaust pipe was broke or leaked - Thank God for that one -I don't know why but they dragged all the food items through the back of the tent which was now wide open and feasted on my food (and booze) outside - Now you figure this one out - I had a 6 foot step ladder standing directly behind the tent which was dragged about 20 feet from the tent - I know it was the bear's because their tracks were everywhere - BUT WHY ????"Based on the variations in size of the muddy foot prints that were all over the back of the tent my best bet is that it was a sow with 2 cubs - but we'll never know - At any rate I rebuilt the tables and horses and put the back of the canvass tent back together with safety pins and duct tape - then back to the hunt -Ahh the wilderness - Ya gotta love it - What would "Jeremiah" have done - and Bear Claw was nowhere to be found -And like I always say: "Remember it's not about the kill - It's about the Adventure"BLUESMAN

Hit the backcountry in the Jessup /River WF last Thursday in anticipation of the opener Saturday - Tons of leaves on the ground which made it hard to find scrapes not to mention all the noise those leaves made - Sunday morning it was a chilly 13 degrees - Ground cover white with frost - About a mile from camp I came across an area where a buck had literally tore up the area - 7 scrapes in a row - never saw anything like it - Testosterone levels on that buck must have been horrendous - (Can't imagine how swollen his neck was) - At any rate only caught sight of one flag but couldn't tell what it was it happened so fast in the thicket - Got home last night exhausted from still hunting and climbing those mountains which aren't getting any smaller - Heading back soon - good luck out thereBLUESMAN

I do believe your "wasting your time" because the woods in July are a "JUNGLE" with practically zero visibility - and let's not forget about all the mind boggling insects that torment ya

I am still looking for another hunter to join my hunting camp in the deep backcountry of the Jessup River Wild Forest If interested give me a shout Bluesman

Hit the southern zone yesterday bow hunting /// My partner dropped a nice 7 pointer /// Of course we're both "old school" and neither of us has a smart phone so we couldn't take a photo to post here /// We quit at noon and came back to my barn where we spent (5) hours butchering the prize /// The meat was just beautiful and we cooked a few steaks with onions and olive oil on my wood stove while we cut the meat /// Next move is the Jessup River Wild Forest for the remainder of the season ///And remember: It's not about the kill - It's about the Adventure

Forgot to add in the posting above that I live in the Albany NY area

I am still looking for another backcountry hunter to join my camp I am retired and looking for another retiree who wants to spend some serious time in the backcountry The first entry in this forum tells it all but I am not too particular anymore as I age and as long as you know your way around the woods Give me a shout

Couldn't wait... Hit the big woods Saturday and stayed for 5 days... Camp all set up... They're past peak foliage up there and those leaves are dropping pretty fast. Real windy at times but unusually warm... The extended forecast up there, for now anyway, is calling for a lot of rain... and wet snow.

We gave up on our quest for another serious backcountry hunter via hunting forums last year.... Lots of replies but all "wanna be's" with little or no experience whatsoever... So be it... The last thing you want with a newby is "search & rescue" at the end of a long hunting day... Heading up Monday for 3 days to set up the elk tent. Hunting again in the deep backcountry of the West Canada Lakes Wilderness. Another backcountry hunter who camps about a mile from us was up there setting up camp last week. He informed me that visibility was "piss poor" with thick foliage. Been getting hammered with rain up there lately, yet those trees refuse to drop their leaves. They got frost twice up there in the last week and hopefully that will help. Wet snow expected tomorrow night which should really help get those leaves down. Just want to wish all you serious Adirondack hunters the best of luck this year. With these drastic "temperature swings" via global warming, only God knows what the weather will bring to us hunters. We could get snow one day, but the following day it could be 60 degrees, or visa versa. So be it... And remember: "It's not about the Kill, it's about the Adventure"... Bluesman

Our non-illustrious Governor has targeted HUNTERS, and not the PREDATORS who terrorize our elderly, schools, night clubs, large venues, etc., etc., etc...in the LARGER CITIES. Her focus should not include the STATE FOREST PRESERVE... Her focus should have been on this BS "NO BAIL REFORM"... Her approach...Let the predators go before a judge... and be released immediately, but... if YOU FAIL TO MEET THE NEW ESTABLISHED HUNTING GUIDELINES, your arrested, charged with a felony, and all weapons confiscated immediately... Make certain to get out come November and vote...

If your heading up to the Big Woods of the Adirondacks to hunt, here's a bit more information that should put many of you at ease concerning this new Legislation submitted by our non-illustrious Governor... Q: Can I possess a firearm, rifle, or shotgun in the Adirondacks and Catskills? A: Yes. Certain areas of the parks are not considered “sensitive locations” under the law, as the state owned or managed lands are legally classified as "state forest preserve" or are generally private lands. There are areas inside the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves, however, that are classified as sensitive locations or restricted locations under the new gun law, and these specific locations are subject to the "sensitive and restricted location restrictions" under the law. This new Legislation covers a lot of territory on a state wide level, but my only concern was how it would effect me going and coming from the Dack's... Below is a link to the new rules... https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/gunlawqanda2022.pdf And remember: "It's not about the Kill, it's about the Adventure"... Thebluesman5748

New Legislation submitted by Governor Kathy Hochal... Traveling with a Firearm, Rifle, or Shotgun... "SAFE STORAGE REPOSITORY" Q: When I am traveling to hunt or participate in a hunting-related activity by car, do I have to store my gun in a fire, impact, and tamper-resistant safe storage container in my vehicle? A: The gun needs to have all ammunition removed, be locked in a safe storage repository (i.e., a fire, impact, and tamper-resistant container) and be hidden from view if the hunter leaves it unattended in their vehicle. Any lockable plastic or metal, hard-sided gun case or safe will suffice for this purpose. If an adult remains with the vehicle to ensure security, a safe storage repository is not required. To prevent theft, we recommend always securing firearms during transport. Local rules for traveling with firearms also apply and may be more restrictive. As we all know, as of this date, "FIRE PROOF" gun cases do not exist... Thebluesman5748

We're heading back in Thursday for 11+ days... As of now, the weather looks prime for hunting but it changes so fast... Looking for that white powder.Went up for 6 days last week for the opener... Saturday night it dropped down to 18 degrees, and in the morning the ground was white with a heavy frost. By Monday the rains came...Put up a nice buck in the heavy pines down in the swamp but I had my rifle slung over my shoulder. By the time I got it up into firing position that buck was gone...long gone. Never saw it again. I stalked the area almost 2 hours without a trace of that deer... That buck doesn't know it but, "I'll be back"...Bluesman...

We're heading back in Thursday for 11+ days... As of now, the weather looks prime for hunting but it changes so fast... Looking for that white powder.Went up for 6 days last week for the opener... Saturday night it dropped down to 18 degrees, and in the morning the ground was white with a heavy frost. By Monday the rains came...Put up a nice buck in the heavy pines down in the swamp but I had my rifle slung over my shoulder. By the time I got it up into firing position that buck was gone...long gone. Never saw it again. I stalked the area almost 2 hours without a trace of that deer... That buck doesn't know it but, "I'll be back"...Bluesman...

Colin Powell had a Pre-existing condition..."CANCER"...and he was 84 years old...

And now for the hunt... Will be heading up to camp this Thursday for the open of rifle on Saturday... Plan to stay 5-6 days this trip and the temperatures look prime for hunting. Mid 40's during the day with mid to low 30's at night. Deep in the backcountry where we are it will most likely be colder... Thank you God... Between now and Thanksgiving we anticipate spending 25 days or more at camp hunting... We do, however, come out a few times for a quick breather. Best of luck to all you cowboys out there... And remember... "It's not about the Kill, it's about the Adventure"... Bluesman

Can't find anything on this forum to assist me in editing or deleting my own posts... Please PM me with help... Thank you in advance... Thebluesman5748

Did this photo of our camp come out...?

We finally got into the backcountry and set up camp for hunting. It was indeed a labor intensive weekend but we lucked out...no rain... We came up a little short on the wood supply because we were beat, and got into the bourbon a bit too much... but will remedy that soon.I followed several "foliage reports" prior to heading up and I can tell you that they're all wrong... The trees are still loaded with green foliage... some color but nothing to brag about... Not many leaves on the ground considering the elevation we were at... I can only assume they haven't had a heavy frost as of yet...but we've got almost 3 weeks to open rifle...Biggest disappointment...No coyote's howling at night, but I did manage to find some scat which told me they were definitely around.Bluesman...

We finally got into the backcountry and set up camp for hunting. It was indeed a labor intensive weekend but we lucked out...no rain... We came up a little short on the wood supply because we were beat, and got into the bourbon a bit too much... but will remedy that soon.I followed several "foliage reports" prior to heading up and I can tell you that they're all wrong... The trees are still loaded with green foliage... some color but nothing to brag about... Not many leaves on the ground considering the elevation we were at... I can only assume they haven't had a heavy frost as of yet...but we've got almost 3 weeks to open rifle...Biggest disappointment...No coyote's howling at night, but I did manage to find some scat which told me they were definitely around.Bluesman...

Hey, I want to thank all you hunters on your feedback... It was a toss up between my Tikka and a Ruger American, but the Ruger was camo, as well as the barrel which had a suppressor on the end of it for recoil. Didn't care for the color and had no other to choose from... So be it... Ammo of choice... 180 grain core lokt soft point. Damn, came out in the barn this morning at 5:00 and it was 46 degrees. Didn't take me long to fire up the wood stove. And I also noticed that my neck had started to swell and I was grunting at my dog... What does that tell ya....? Hey GG... I know it will be a while before you guys head into Moose, so I'll send you an update on the foliage and visibility after we set up... And remember... "It's not about the kill, It's about the Adventure... Bluesman

After 45 years of hunting with my 30.06 Remington Woodmaster, semi-auto, Model 742, I had to downsize due to the weight of that rifle and my age... I only hunt deep backcountry in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness, and cover a lot of territory in the course of the hunting day still hunting and tracking... I have a Leupold 3x9 Vari X II on that weapon. Just bought a new 30.06 Tikka T3X bolt action with synthetic stock. Put a Leupold 3x9x50 scope on it... The rifle is made in Finland, and from the research I've done, it appears I bought myself a damn good hunting rifle... The best feature for me is that rifle & scope total about 6 1/2lb.. My Remington is almost 11 pounds so I've cut the weight in half. As a result, I've now got to work out even harder getting my legs in shape as I will probably cover more territory in the course of the day. If any of you hunters have this rifle, I'd appreciate it if you PM or Email me and give me your opinion of this weapon. I don't get to this site very often... Best of luck to everyone this season... And remember... "It's not about the kill, It's about the Adventure"... Bluesman...

Does anyone here own a Tikka T3X 30.06..? If so, what's your opinion of the rifle...?

Hunting Deep Backcountry I only jump on this website once a year to see who's doing what for the hunt. I've been getting gear ready for 2 weeks now in anticipation of the hunt... Again, we will be hunting the deep backcountry of the West Canada Lakes Wilderness... Heading up in 2 weeks to put up the Elk Tent and gather firewood for the whole season... It's a labor intensive weekend, but once the camp is set up and all the wood cut, split and stacked, we're ready to kick back and enjoy the sounds of the wilderness... I've been hunting with a (30.06) Remington Woodmaster, model 742 for 45 years. It's a great hunting rifle. But as I age, that weapon just doesn't get any lighter.. I cover a lot of territory every day still hunting & tracking and I, after all these years, broke down and decided to retire my Remington for a lighter weapon... Just bought a new Tikka T3X, (30.06) with synthetic stock, and a Leupold 3x9x50 scope... The bolt action on that weapon is really smooth. Total package weighs less than 6 1/2lb... That's almost 5lb less than my Remington. So now it looks like I've got to get the legs in better shape as I'll probably cover more territory... Alright boys & girls, get focused and start thinking about the hunt... As for me, I can't wait to get up there. When I hear those coyote's howling I'll know I'm in God's country... And remember... "It's not about the kill, It's about the Adventure"...

Somewhere Deep in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness Somewhere Deep in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness: We spent a total of 28 days at hunting camp, coming out 3 times for supplies and a well needed break from hunting. We broke camp the day before Thanksgiving in anticipation of heavy snow which would have made our departure somewhat difficult...and we were beat. The season started off slow with mild temperatures. Lots of sign but not much for movement during the day... About 10 days into the season we got hammered with a foot of snow and ice... We thought for sure that this was the big opportunity we were looking for. Unfortunately, the pines in the swamps were covered with snow and ice which made visibility difficult... Then, thanks to global warming, we got about a week straight of 65 degree weather. Needless to say, the snow disappeared over night and we were back to square one. No snow and unusually warm... It sucked but we persevered. We teamed up the day of the snow hoping to hook on to fresh tracks.. My God, we walked over 4 miles in the snow and "never found one pair of tracks"... We think they just hunkered down during and after the storm... Once the snow was gone of course, the sign, tracks and runs were endless...but were they moving during the day....Not the bucks, that's for damn sure.... In total, we saw 13 doe, but never got a glimpse of a buck... We all still hunt and go off on our own covering a lot of territory. We didn't score, but it was definitely a great adventure...painful at times but well worth it. The meals and comradery were great.