The Engineer

So this year I'm lucky to be able to take 3 deer. This weekend I'm going up for crossbow and I can take either sex. For rifle I got a doe tag. So I bought a meat grinder for the front shoulder meat and I'll take back straps, loins and hind quarters. I have been watching YouTube for a few days now but I am still a virgin. Anyone butcher their deer? Anything I should watch for or do? Thanks

Dam I going by you. I got one.

Nice welcome to the 10 point club.

I'm all sited in to 50 yards which I will never do. That is far it's like 150' away or so. 40 or less maybe but 30 yards is dead on. Trimmed my shooting lanes, washed my clothes and told my wife that this opening day and 11/16 are my days and she and the dogs are staying home. It's my time. I always take care of her dad who is 92 (easy to do he's my buddy) but I can't let her know that. I'll never get anything. Good luck and be safe

I've seen this as clown. He goes to local watering hole on Thursdays that I go to. I just called a few camo friends and we are going Thursday to explain why hunting is important to the overall herd. One of my buddies "Tiny" said he's going to explain to him why he hunts and what he would do if someone talked to him let a lone a child like that. I hunt all over LI from deer to birds to rabbits and only a small population hassle you if at all. But it is changing. As for this guy most likely his kid started it and the father was trying to look tough. It's ok Tiny doesn't like anti-hunters, anti-Americans, Democrats pretty much most people but me and about 5 other people unless they pipe fitters or welders like him. I'll keep you posted

Congrats, you did everything right and nothing wrong. My first deer was a gut shot then a heart shot. It was a mess and I was alone in a valley upstate. But we stuck with it. That's the difference. I live in Suffolk too. I'll see you out there in January. Right now its been upstate at the cabin every weekend getting ready for November 2nd crossbow and the 16th for opening day

I have one myself. Bought it before the silly safe act. Turned to be all match grade parts. I didn't even know what that meant. A guy on LI (O'rion 7) is an expert on them and sells parts and bullets but reload my own. As for the 2" groups at 100 yards, a Garand well do better then that at 300 yards. Great gun good luck and go use it

Well I spoke with my friend who works for the DEC in my area in the office in the next town from me. The snake is a viscous killer called a garder snake. A true man eater. Known for killing whole towns. I know for me lesson learned. First thing I'm going to do is get more educated on the venomous snakes. I'm going to get a snake bite kit just to have. Also since we put the pond in, it improved the habitat for a lot of new critters that will bring in snakes even the scarey ones. Thanks for all the input everyone

I wanted too because I have 2 dogs and my wife up here with me this weekend but I just kept moving. I always hoped since I was high in the mountains they snakes would stay lower. Since cleared some woods and put in a pond I've been seeing more snakes but all garder snakes going for the frogs

Or looking on line maybe a Massasauga rattlesnake looking at the pictures

It was an aggressive little bastard. I didn't want to kill it as all the critters in the woods have a purpose even those dam black flies and nats

I saw this by my pond yesterday. What kind of snake is this? It was under 2 feet long and no rattle but it coiled up a seemed to be aggressive. I kept on walking

Got 20 to 24 inches. It started sleet for 30 minutes and back to snow. As soon as I finished plowing the road and driveway at 2 yesterday it went from 22 to 12 degrees in less then 2 hours and still falling with a constant wind. We're up at 2500' by Windham and Hunter. No snowmobiling today. Time to start packing up and winterize the house again. Real feel about -22 out there. Time to get back to Long Island where it's a balmy 7 out

My wife and I are bolting at lunch time from Long Island to go up to the cabin in the Catskills. By us outside of Windham they are saying 20"ish. We are 2700' up so if it snows we are getting it. The quads and snowmobiles are ready to go and I cooked my ass off last weekend waiting for this. I already told my boss I'll be sick on Tuesday. I can feel it coming. I have food, booze football play offs. I'm covered. Then next weekend hunting on the island. I can feel the flu coming next Friday too. Bring on the snow

I'm going out to a relatives farm in Riverhead next week. 30 acres with 10 of it woods and no one hunts it.

Sorry I was clear. Out of my 3 plots one is already clover. Planted late last year. It's closest to the house and on a slope over looking my pond. Easy maintenance and I can't get my tractor there to turn it over. My other 2 plots one was bassicas with turnips and radishes. Did OK but from August to October it grew about 12". Which isn't bad. The plot was what Agway called a "mix" which was probably everything that fell on the floor. That did pretty good for an August planting. This year I have time, tractor and some Implements. I want something that will grow to good height and the deer will munch during the late season too. I need some ideas on what to grow and why. Next I'll ask again and grow something else Thanks

If you had 3 food plots on your property and was already clover, what would be your top 2 choices? Say if plot size was over 150 x 150 each. Good amount of sun each day perfect PH and in the middle of the woods. What would you choose and why

I don't know if R4 in 4 wheel drive is equal to R1 in 2 wheel drive. I have R4s on my tractor with no chains and had no problem in 14" of wet sloppy slushy snow this weekend up in the Catskills. My neighbor has R1 with chains and I went anywhere he went cleaning snow. The only time I slid was in 12" of mud on on a grade sideways. Now I got the tires loaded and haven't had a problem since.

Buck hunter check out Bruno's power sports in Arkansas. Free delivery and no sales tax. I bought a Massey 2706 (60 hp) for 24,000 no one could come close. He also has Kioti which I almost bought. I like how they have a lever on the back to raise the 3 point hitch while standing at the back of the tractor where you can see it close up. Good luck

middleguy 10 point 18" spread last day of season 2015 Dellaware County by Green County. Total fluke just walking through the open woods at 10:00. Circled around him and he walked right up to me. The locals say he's the biggest one in 20 years in my area. Not bad for a cityit. Moral of the story late season bucks do happen and don't give up until the end. I have a 9 in my area but I am taking off this weekend to let the woods cool down and next week taking off Thursday and Friday off. If it's meant to be it will be.

We do one big thing and a few smalls For my big I put a 6' cultipacker, 6' disc or box scraper on my list. A win any way you look at it. For my small either a muzzle loader, crossbow or drag harrow. My stocking stuffers are kale, radishes, turnip seeds, winter pees and winter rye. As you can see I was bitten by the food plot bug

This was my first year of doing a plot actually 3 of them. I rented a bulldozer and just ground up the areas and planted clover in 1. kale, radishes and turnips in another and some cheap wildlife in another. I planted it in mid August and it came up great and got hammered. So if you have a tractor then all you need is a disk, york rake (which you have) and a hand spreader. Start there. Save and look for results. My expectations were low and it blow my doors off. I am already thinking of next year's plots

M1 Garand with soft points I loaded myself. Doewhacked I have the same great gun. Love it. If you haven't used it service it. I didn't 2 years ago on opening day and a 10 point got a pass because it misfired 4 in row. I cleaned the firing pin but not the gas tube. 2 weeks later he walked right out of the woods looking at me at 80 yards. Thank God 1 shot and he dropped with in 10 feet. Good luck to all and stay safe Saturday

First let me start off by say credit to ALL VETERANS. Just extra credit for WW2 Vets. I sited in my M1 today. I forgot how heavy it is. I haven't touched it years. The idea of running up a beach at Normandy with that monster must have been tough. My father in law was there but he said he was lucky he had a Carbine. First off it took 16 shots just to hit the paper. Then another 40 shots to hit within 2" of dead center with 3 consecutive shots. With a pad my shoulder is a little sore. Looking forward to using on opening day. Thank you ALL Vets for fighting for me to be able to own a gun and being able to shoot it.

I just made 100 bullets. All with the same power and weight but different heads. I am going to site in with FMJ then go to soft tip boat tail etc. I made 5 different variations. Maybe I will do the doe thing at the end of the season