Salmon_Run

Amen right there !!!!!!

I do believe that is a fisher....

Best of luck to my fellow "Big Woods" hunters who spend countless hours and miles in the big woods for an elusive buck. The weather is changing, wood stoves will be burning and snow will be a fall'in.... Enjoy the experience and have a safe season for 2018....

Packed, sighted in and headed North shortly !!!!

Maybe it was actually big foot and there is an ongoing cover up from ENCON... After all, Ticonderoga is not that far North of Whitehall and they have been know to travel in them parts...

Big cool down headed our way.....

The incident was investigated by ENCON and no bear was involved.... Alcohol most likely- a rogue black bear....NOPE

Range day: 74 degrees / humidity in 90% range / negligible wind Load: Triple 7 "FIRESTAR" pellets (3) = 100 grain (can use 5 pellets max.) "Smackdown" 250 gr. Sabot from Traditions CCI #209 primers At 100 yards with a bore sight I was only about 4 inches low, fast ignition and no sulfur smell upon firing. About the same clean burn as Pryodex pellets I used in my Knight. Bore cleaned with a patch after each shot with no decline in accuracy. Clean up at the home bench was about normal with significant scrubbing and multiple patches used to get the fouling out. I found the pellets easy to use and no significant gain in clean burn from Pyrodex pellets.

Deepest condolences to all the families, friends and first responders as well. The owner has a flop house motel in Saratoga County and has been in the spotlight for years. Guess he's back in Pakistan and his sons are "running" the motel and limo business... Tragic..........

My wife's bow is set up at 50 lbs and she's comfortable out to a 50 yard shot on a bear as long as you can obtain a well positioned shot. Bears have a substantial bone structure and shoulder, one wants to place an arrow about mid-line and angled straight through or slightly forward. A well placed shot of 40 or more lbs will cause a wound in the heart/lung area with major loss of blood using a quality broadhead. A well placed shot with a lower poundage will produce better results than a higher poundage shot with a poorly placed shot. In my opinion it's shot placement with an arrow that counts most. Quite a few state have a 35-40 lbs minimum draw weight.

One has to be an experienced woodsman to hunt in the deep woods, there are several logistical challenges as terrain, weather and the ability to navigate through certain areas. The terrain is challenging (at best), the weather is unpredictable and ever changing as the woods themselves change dramatically through the season and it becomes a challenge to navigate easily. I've hunted the same Hamilton County area for nearly 50 years and have found on cloudy, snowy, dark days I've become "turned around". I'm most often alone at camp and am fully prepared for any eventuality I may encounter. It is one of my favorite types of hunts and just know the pitfalls and be prepared. Last season right near my camp a person became "lost" about 8 tenths of a mile from his camp and spent the night. This resulted in the rangers having to conduct a search for him. Be aware of navigation, dehydration and hypothermia as they all can creep up on you. I dress in multiple layers and am constantly adjusting for my exercise level and stop frequently for drinks and snacks. I carry a fanny pack with the basics and be ready.... It also can be rewarding to out first light in an area no one has been and stalk a Adirondack whitetail... I wish you an enjoyable experience and luck in an harvest... Dan

In all seriousness, check out some of the posts in the "Big Woods Hunting" forum here and make sure if you venture into the woods you are physically and mentally prepared with proper equipment that you know how to use. The big woods are easy to get screwed up in and weather can be nasty at times. A few of us here love that type of hunt and it can be rewarding just being "out there" but please do so wisely....

Oh, there's a few deer and bear around them parts..

There are much-much stranger things one could collect..... I had the experience of arresting a sex offender that collected (among other things) bottles of human urine and had several crock pots of warm urine in his living area..... That's ODD and SICK.... Barb wire and trapping pins....pretty cool stuff !!!

I'll keep and eye out for the missing I

Sad news to hear. I had a guy a few years back place his "bait" on my land behind his property. ENCON showed up on my door to inquire and determined that he placed the bait there, spot lighted and more than likely shot deer over the bait. Because he wasn't actively hunting over it when they caught him, all he was ticketed for was placing bait on lands inhabited by deer and paid a small fine/civil penalty. The slob even left the bags from the bait on my property; go figure !!!!!

Find some choke cherries in the hardwoods and you'll find bear activity.

My condolences to you and your family in this difficult period. May your fall be blessed with memories and comfort.....

Don't forget your waterfowl "HIP" number... Best of luck

Great decision on your part not taking a shot you weren't 100% comfortable with taking for a clean harvest. You have great ethics and self control. Fear not I am sure the deer Gods will reward you greatly.... Best of luck......

After years of carrying around the barrel heavy old Knight disc rifle I sprang for a Traditions G4 Pursuit (Nitride) and so far like the handling and break open breech. Headed to the range early next week and will decide on propellant/sabot combo. I'm starting out with 245 Gr. Power Belt HP bullets... I'm leaning towards the Triple 7 Fire Star (pellets), Black Horn 209 or the IMR White Hot (pellets). Any thoughts ?

I hunt at least once every year in the cold rain just to make sure I still don't like it !!

Great local reads available from the North County Books store in Utica... Big selection by many local authors within New York state..

Also great Alaska reads: "Braving It" by James Campbell "Carry On" by Stan Zuray "Winds of Skilak" By Bonnie Ward

"The Final Frontiersman" about Heimo Korth living the Arctic Refuge Prior to the TV show Last Alaskans...