airedale

Nothing more effective than a shotgun firing buck shot in close quarters. The US Army used Winchester pumps loaded with Buck Shot in WW1, they were nicknamed "Trench Sweepers" for good reason. Devastating firepower caused fearsome casualties enough so for the German government to protest their use. A nut case that was skilled in operation cutting loose in a crowded school hallway with an extended tube magazine autoloading or pump shotgun would make an AR rifle look puny in relation as far as mowing down numbers of people. Al

Some years I do not use it for power outages at all and frankly I am quite happy that I do not have to fire it up, this past summer I had the power go out three times because of severe thunder storms, a couple of three or four hour deals and one that was about six, this last snow storm was almost a full day. All in all for power outages I have used it about a dozen times or so over the last twenty years. For me as much as anything it is the peace of mind I have knowing I can hang in there for as many days as it takes for the power crews to make repairs. Al

A big whole house generator is certainly nice and they are fine if you have every circuit in your house plugged in with something using electricity at the same time. My generator is 5500 watts, takes me about 10 minutes to get plugged in and fired up, it is hooked to what I consider the most important circuits, I have a well so my water pump has to have power to work, lights and wall plugs in the main living areas and kitchen, fridge and freezer so food does not spoil, Main TV, radios and computer all can be used. My generator cost me a grand and it handles all the important stuff fine, I don't need every circuit in the house hot to get along nicely and with all the comforts for as many days as needed. Al

In the tradition of the famous old British white hunter's dangerous game double rifles used for many years during the big African safari era we have a nice Belgian 22 LR Double rifle to take care of those charging Coons, Cottontails and Woodchucks, can be yours for a pittance of $26,000.00 I do think for 26 grand that screw head on the side plate should not be so conspicuous!

That looks like a pretty nifty setup as long as your meter box is close to your house, my box is on a pole close to the road I live on but my house is a good 700 ft away. I went with a Northern Tool setup and hired an electrician to install it. I went with this system with the somewhat portable generator because I can use the generator any other places on my property when and where I need power for tools and get dual use out of it. I keep the generator in a shed not far from the outside plug so when the power goes down I just wheel it over to the house and plug her in, throw the switches on the transfer box and fire up the generator. Should be able to get this set up for a couple of grand total. Make sure your generator has a Honda Motor! Al

Ahhh the good old days when there were town dumps, on Sundays they provided some great Crow hunting action and nights your trigger finger would get tired from knocking off all the Rats that were living in the trash. Al

Hunting Rats with dogs and sticks. Back when I stored hay in my barn the last few bales left after winter always had a couple of dozen rats hiding under them. I would get one of my dogs and have a revolver loaded with rat shot and start flipping bales, The action was fast and furious, a lot of stomping, shooting and some good dog work. Al

I have been around long enough to have seen some big time snow falls and the power outages that accompany them, some can last for days, as the old Boy Scout motto says "BE PREPARED'"! Expect the unexpected because sooner or later if you live around these parts long enough you will get a dose of mother nature going off her wheels in some way or another. The hurricanes of last summer are a good example that there is going to be hardship no matter how hard the government tries to to get things back into working order. When things really get bad the whole system can be overwhelmed, hell they still do not have power in many locations in PR. I always had the basics for power outages, I collect old Coleman and Deitz lanterns along with carbide mine lamps so lights are no problem and they will also put out decent amounts of heat. I have a big kerosene heater and battery operated lights and radio. Most power outages are only for a few hours at most and a minor inconvenience, but about 20 yrs ago I had a three day winter power outage that was a real hardship because of my livestock and need for large amounts of water, I got through it but barely. 20 or so years ago I did a remodel on my house and put in a few measures that will get me through most weather related messes. First of all I got the house wired for a generator that will take care of any electrical needs along with a good quality generator. Next was a high BTU propane gas insert for my wood fireplace, it will heat the house without power. A new old fashioned style wood-coal cook stove was purchased, that will also heat the house and supply hot water along with cooking meals. Power outages are a funny thing, since the generator was purchased I bet in 20 years I only used it a half dozen times for power, but this year I have had to fire it up four times including for this past storm which left me without power for a day but things kept going along here like clockwork without missing a beat. Again as the Boy Scouts say "BE PREPARED" Al

And that is it in a nutshell! You have a small group of nutcases that can be virtually counted on your hands having committed mass shootings and the solution wanted by many is take away gun rights of millions and millions of law abiding gun owners who did absolutely nothing wrong! There is nothing that gets my goat or angers me more than taking a fall for an incident I had nothing to do with. Al

Gun owning Non NRA Members need to step up and join the fight by becoming a member. Current members can increase membership by signing up non members, I just purchased memberships for my Wife and Grandson. Every little bit helps and adds up. Al

Not me and will not and have not entered their stores! When I hold a grudge I hold it unless there is a meaningful change! Al

I ain't stepped into one of the "Dicks" stores since 2012 and will continue to spend my money elsewhere. They showed their true colors when "Dicks" liberal Democrat family member "Kim Myers" ran for congress for my district last election, thank goodness she was defeated by pro gun conservative Claudia Tenney. I remember that outfit back back in the 70s when they were mainly a well known big time hunting-fishing-camping camping store down in the Binghamton area .They sold 5 packs of Remington and Winchester rifled slugs for .59 cents a box before the southern zone's opening day Deer season. Today it would not surprise me in the least down the road they dropped firearms sales altogether as they have drastically moved in a different direction when it comes to the merchandise they sell. As far as I am concerned it is a good place to stay away from!! Al

What He Said!!!!! Al

http://huntingwithairedales.blogspot.com/2011/04/hunting-airedales-in-action.html

The OP's question was posed "big game hunting compared to all other states in the country" Depending on what hunting opportunities one has Deer hunting in NY may get a high ranking by some but not by all. Bear hunting is available but because of restrictions on baiting or being able to hunt with dogs it boils down pretty much to luck. So while Deer hunting may be decent Bear hunting not so much. So with the way things sit right now I would rank NY on the low end of the scale. When Moose hunting becomes available that will bring up the score a notch or two because of the opportunity, but the opportunities will be very limited and if and when it does happen you will have to pay extra for a Moose tag guaranteed. So I would give NY a 3 ranking which will fall in line with most of the north eastern states. Much of the mid west would rank the same as the north east, a 3 ranking The mid south eastern states have good hog hunting to bring their score up a point or so and the deeper south in addition to hogs gators are available to add a point to their score. With their long liberal seasons I would give those states a 5 ranking. The western half of the country is where things start to get interesting when it comes to Big Game opportunities. Many of these states have not only Whitetail Deer but also Mule Deer, Blacktail Deer, Bear, Pronghorn Antelope, Elk, Moose, Lion, Goats and Sheep and Bison in limited numbers., Wolves will be in the mix out there soon. Some also have Hogs and Peccary. There are even some introduced exotics actually running wild available in the southwest. Tags will have to be purchased for most species on an individual basis so hunting everything will not be cheap. These states will get from a 5 minimum ranking all the way to a 10 ranking depending on which one. Bottom line and truthfully NY does not even come close when it comes to overall big game hunting opportunities when compared to many other parts of the country. Al

A product endorsement for anything made of leather. I just dug up out of mothballs an old Roy's Pancake holster I purchased 40 years ago, it is a perfect fit for a new revolver I just purchased. The holster is in remarkable condition for it's age, no cracks or fading, still soft and supple where need be and almost looks as new as the day I bought it. I attribute it's fine condition to using a leather preservative product from a company called Obenauf's. This stuff really works well on anything made of leather, I use it on all my leather work and hunting boots, belts, holsters and even on a leather coat. My 50 year old Wilson A2000 baseball glove could still be in a game as good as ever even though I can not. It keeps my leather hunting boots looking good and importantly water resistant. Bottom line if you invest in leather gear of any type this Obenauf's product will really let you get your money's worth from your purchases keeping your stuff in fine condition and surely extending it's life. Al

So in celebration of Uncle Donald's tax cuts I decided that the occasion called for something "Special" so I decided to spend my "Crumbs" as the old liver spot Pelosi calls them on a new revolver. I have been long time fan of the 44 Special cartridge wanting a Charter Arms Target Bulldog in that chambering for the longest time so I bought me one. Never actually owned a Charter Arms weapon before but I am very familiar with them as I sold a bunch of them back in the day when I worked in a gun shop. Mostly the snub nose undercover model in 38 special, they were a favorite with Police officers for a back up gun. A good friend of mine had one of the original Son of Sam 3 inch blue Bulldogs that he absolutely abused with heavy handloads and it held together making me a believer in their toughness and build quality, that gun was painful to shoot. Had all the loading equipment from my 44 mag so I picked up some new 44 special cases and loaded some 180 Hornady XTPs and broke out my last box of Speer 225 half jackets my favorite 44 bullets which are no longer being produced and made up 50 of those. Picked up the Bulldog today and while it is no Colt Python it is a bargain priced solid small frame revolver that is decently made and will make a nice carrying trail gun that has some pop. Took off the rubber grips and replaced them with factory walnut target style, will be giving her a test when I get some decent weather. Al

I was in the same boat a few years ago looking for something better for large batches of ammo. I have three single stage presses and would put a die in each one shaving off a little time but the answer putting up a bunch of ammo is a turret press. Before you buy take a look at the Lee Classic Turret press and newer auto drum powder measure. I know a lot of folks look down their noses at Lee stuff because of the the use of a lot of plastic in it's construction. That being said the bottom line is the ammo that one can produce with Lee equipment, it is the equal of anything being made and reliability is the least of your worries. I watched several videos produce by Fortunecookie45LC demonstrating Lee equipment and had some correspondence with him. This guy is a straight shooter and knows his stuff and when I got done watching his presentations with the Lee equipment I was sold. I bought the press along with the auto priming setup and drum powder measure and I am not one bit sorry I went with Lee, and a big plus I saved some serious cash. This stuff works great and the ammo produced is as good as anything produced by the high end guys. Again do not discount the Lee reloading equipment, watch the video below and see for yourself. Al

So I feared the wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, I called the family Doctor to discuss the problem. The Doctor said there is a simple informal test you could perform to give a Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss. Here's what you do,' said the Doctor, 'stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.' That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and I was In the den. I says to myself, 'I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.' Then in a normal tone I ask, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' No response.. So I move closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from the wife and repeat, what's for dinner?' Still no response. Next I move into the dining room about 20 feet from the Wife and asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again no response. So, I walk up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. 'Honey, what's for dinner?' Again there is no response.. So I walk right up behind her. " what's for dinner?' 'HOLY CRAP, Al, for the FIFTH time, CHICKEN!' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is supposed to be a light hearted joke but my hearing these days is not to far off from the above, a lot of shooting in my early days without wearing ear protection. My favorite word when answering a question, "WHAT"? Al

So my grand kids come over on occasion to spend the day and my 8 year old grandson was asking questions about "Matty" my English Setter. I explained she is a bird hunting dog and when hunting she finds a bird she points it for me so I can shoot it. So now he has a picture in his mind of how a bird hunt takes place with a dog and while sitting at the kitchen table with a box of crayons and some paper he draws a rendition of me and Matty bird hunting. I especially like Matty's pointing technique and I had to share this one. Al

I was a big fan back in the day when Nascar actually raced stock cars, a stripped down hopped up version of something that could be bought off the showroom floor with a roll cage installed and the windows taken out. When they went to the generic cars I lost all interest. Al

Air rifles have come along way from those Daisy Red Rider BB guns we had as Kids, today the sky is the limit on both price and performance. Pellets have the accuracy edge over BBs by far, they are also much better if you decide you may want to do some hunting. Most popular calibers are 17, 22 and 25 but there are many bigger cals on the market. As mentioned above Pyramid Air has a very informative site that will put you up to speed on pretty much everything that is on the market from top to bottom. They have instructional videos along with ratings on what they sell from folks that have spent their hard earned cash. They are one of the top outfits to do business with when it comes to air rifles and stand behind everything they sell. https://www.pyramydair.com/air-rifles As with any purchase you will surely get what you pay for and air rifles are no exception. Prices rage from well over a grand to under one hundred, but be assured cheap air guns will have lousy triggers and poor accuracy along with a long life and reliability lacking. A decent quality air rifle will give you many years of reasonable priced target shooting and can also double as a pretty fair short range varmint-small game hunting weapon. My best advice is to buy something with proven quality. I just purchased a plinker myself last fall that I can highly recommend. A 22 cal gas piston Gamo Swarm Maxxim, a ten shot magazine fed Multi Shot. Several things I like about this rifle, first of all the magazine, it works flawlessly and sure beats single shots having to put pellets in the chamber one at a time. It is light weight compared to the other two Benjamin air rifles I have by far. The trigger is decent which will go a long way in shooting accurate groups, it also comes with a half way decent scope with mounts and rings. The accuracy is good and I would have no problem taking a walk in the woods for early season shorter range squirrel hunts with this Gamo.

A disclaimer, no way would I consider myself any kind of expert varmint caller. I get into a few varmints when just out hunting for anything during small game season that walks crawls or flies with my dogs. I almost always carry a varmint call in my pocket when hunting, many times they have livened things up on a slow day. The vast majority of my varmint hunting takes place early mornings. I have had my best luck on Fox and Coyote with some sort of dying Rabbit call, I use both hand calls and electronic callers. I have called a few Coon with an electronic caller playing Woodpecker in distress call and also got a few to leave dens and show themselves with squaller type call. The Fox taken below was called in with a little low cost Phantom electronic pocket size call while out Squirrel hunting. just doing a bit of calling between stands.

Do you watch anything other than NBC, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, PBS or troll left wing sites?

I am not a phone person, I still use phones the old fashioned way, for talking on only. Any internet web surfing email stuff gets done on my computer or tablet. I have two tracfones, one is just a basic free phone and the other is a half assed smart phone, I use the basic phone 99.9% of the time. $200.00 a year total for both phones and have never run out of minutes in the dozen or so years using these phones. I actually have plenty of roll over minutes carrying over each time I renew once a year. My wife is the opposite, she does her own thing and has a fancy smart phone, she is constantly using it and it seems to be never out out of her sight, and she also pays through the nose. Her dimes she can spend them the way she likes, I like spending mine on hunting stuff. Al