airedale

For me it is always the leaves. Al

A 12ga Winchester Super X1, had the slug barrel made by Lefever Arms Rome NY back in the late seventies. Had them cut the choke off a plain barrel and install Browning sights. This gun would put the old Remington 7/8 ounce foster slugs on top of one another at 60 yds. It shot so good I ended up having it drilled and tapped for a scope and put on this Leupold Vari X1 3X (all my get serious guns have Leupolds) which had saw previous duty on an Ithaca 51 Deerslayer. I killed quite a few Deer with this outfit including the best buck I ever took. Don't hunt the southern zone or shotgun only areas these days so the old Winchester has not seen any action in some time. With the rifled barrels and sabot slugs of today she is not in the same league as the slug guns available now when it comes to long range. Al

Nice outfit you got there, it will handle all the big game we have in this country in just about every scenario it comes up against as long as you do your part. I will say it again you will never go wrong with a Leupold scope. Al

Nothing would surprise me, I have been around long enough to remember when it was common knowledge that there were no such thing as Moose or Coyotes present in NY State. People were just seeing things. Al

Cameras are a lot like guns for hunting it is pretty hard to come up with one that can handle all situations. Like my hunting arms which over the years have been purchased to cover most types of hunting I do I have done much the same with cameras, I have purchased a lot of them over the years. I still have my almost 50 yr old Polaroid 360 Land camera that I took a couple of photos with the other day for shits and giggles. When out hunting I go as light, small and as tough as possible and yet try to have a camera that can capture a decent shot. Cannon, Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic etc all make compact pocket sized cameras easily carried in the field that take decent photos. I have been using a Panasonic Lumix 16 megapixel that has a stainless steel body and a automatic lens cover that covers the lens when the camera is in my pocket. It is about the size of a deck of cards and it takes good photos in the field. When not carrying a gun I use a full size Cannon sx20is 12 megapixel it has a big zoom and takes beautiful photos but it is heavy and bulky. Today's cameras are easier than ever to use and the prices are good compared to just a few years ago. The main thing is to stick with a brand name and do a little research online and you can come up with something that will suit what you have in mind. Al

From a couple of years ago, I have a range out in back of my house and this young Turkey decided to roost on one of the targets.

The recoil from a slug firing shotgun is a real test for a scope's build quality, buy the best one you can afford. I see many of today's manufacturers produce dedicated shotgun scopes so something from those types should hopefully hold up to recoil and be reliable for your son's slug gun. Al

I have done business with the Sportsman Guide for many years, as for the membership fee it is easily recouped with one decent order. On common run of the mill outdoor sporting goods that other dealers carry their prices are pretty much the same as everyone else. Where this outfit really shines is with factory close outs, discontinued items and factory seconds along with military surplus merchandise. If the need is there a huge chunk of change can be saved by a smart shopper when this stuff comes up for sale. The stuff I have purchased has always been as advertised and worked out fine for me, never had to send anything back so I can not comment on customer service. Al

Natchez has the Leupold 3x9 on sale for 199.00 and free shipping. https://www.natchezss.com/leupold-vx-1-riflescope-386391.html Al

The 3x9 Leupold Vari 1 scope is an iconic classic that has a long unmatched track record in the field that can not be beat for performance, reliability or a company that stands behind it's product for the money. I go back to the sixties with Vari 1 Leupold scopes of both straight power and variables, always did their job in any conditions with Zero! issues. I am still banging away with them today and expect them to continue on for yet many more years after I am long gone. You will never go wrong with selecting a Leupold scope. Al

Boots are a lot like the rest of your outdoor clothing and gear it depends on the type of hunting, terrain, time of year and weather, are you a stand hunter or are you walking and stalking? So you end up with several pairs to fit the task of the day. Early season and for walking I like light boots, my favorite style are moc toe upland boots that bird hunters favor. I have three different brands right now and they are pretty much even in performance. The main difference are their soles and material they are made from, Cabelas Kangaroo are as the name states made from Kangaroo leather, they are light and comfortable with a sole that gets decent traction but not so aggressive that they get packed with crud, flatland boots. I also have a pair of older Rocky "Outbacks" that are a gore-tex-nylon construction, today' current Outbacks are only made in leather, they very light and have a more aggressive sole. The third pair are Bass Pro's Redhead "upland boots" a leather nylon combo with a waterproof membrane, the sole is medium aggressive like the Rockys. The pair I have is a few years old and I love them but I hear the current production is junk so I would not touch them at this time. For mid season cooler weather, a bit of snow and some stand sitting I like those Danner Pronghorns like you already have, I like them a lot. If I were to pick one pair it would be the Danner Pronghorns. When the snow gets deep and the temps get cold I go to rubber that have plenty of insulation, they are heavy but I do not do a whole lot of walking I am mostly sitting in a stand. Sorrels and Mucks have been good to me. Al

I only know that there is a lot of lead in the water so I have no idea of what the ultimate consequences of the Flint water fiasco will end up being because I have not really followed it closely. I am sure we will all know exactly what the real impact was over time once tests are eventually done and the dust settles and the lawsuits hit. But it would not surprise me to see concentrations of lead in people that actually drank and consumed a lot of that water full of lead over a long period of time, how could there not be? Still it is much different than eating a few meals of properly butchered game meat taken with traditional ammunition. Like playing the tobacco card not even close to being an analogy between the two. Al

As I have stated many many times in this thread, proper butchering of your game animals and discarding all blood shot or questionable meat that may have any bullet fragments will reduce any lead that may be left behind to insignificant levels. "You can be assured that other anti-hunting organizations will try to manipulate the data from the CDC study and scare people into thinking it is unsafe to eat game taken with traditional ammunition." Again I will pick my source for info and whom to believe on this scam you can pick yours. There is still not one single case that anyone can point to where a person got any significant lead poisoning sickness from eating game shot with traditional ammo. One thing you can be assured of I will not sit idly by and see you wolves in sheep's clothing eagle zealots attempt throw millions upon millions of hunters and shooters that use traditional ammo under the bus with this false narrative. Al

You can fry it up like chicken, Peel and slice then soak in butter milk or egg then dredge in seasoned bread crumbs and deep fry. It is good! Al

I read the NSSF report what the CDC said and that is good enough for me, You pick your slanted view and source I will pick mine!!! Quote from NSSF "You can be assured that other anti-hunting organizations will try to manipulate the data from the CDC study and scare people into thinking it is unsafe to eat game taken with traditional ammunition." Al

Common sense and the CDC science based study demonstrate that this issue is not about ammunition. It’s about banning hunting. It’s important that all hunters and their families know this and other key facts from the study. • The average lead level of the hunters tested was actually lower than the blood lead level of the average American, including non-hunters. • The average lead level of children in the study was only .88 micrograms per deciliter of blood; the CDC’s level of concern for lead in children is 10 -- more than 10 times the amount found! • The difference between participants who ate wild game harvested with traditional ammunition and non-hunters was only .3 micrograms -- a clinically insignificant number. And that is why nobody has ever been linked to lead poisoning from eating game taken with traditional ammo!!! Al

Yes I will believe the NSSF and the rest of the shooting-hunting industry over a dermatologist with ties to the Peregrine Fund --( an organization with an agenda dedicated to eliminating the use of lead ammunition for hunting)-- who came up with and ran the fear mongering scheme that eating game killed with traditional ammunition causing harm. Al

I am going to assume your grandfather's rifle is an 1898 model and that is what the vast majority of rifles are that are chambered in the 30 40 Krag cartridge. Because of the fact most rifles chambered in this cartridge are older and are of old design I believe all ammo loaded from the various commercial factories will have pressures at a safe level so you should have no problems. Al

From National Shooting Sorts Foundation We all know that hunters have been using traditional ammunition with lead components for hundreds of years. It is a staple in every hunter’s pickup truck and cabin. Game harvested with such ammunition has been safely consumed by humans for hundreds of years and is a source of healthy, low-fat food. Naturally, hunters would be concerned about any claim that game harvested with traditional ammunition posed a health risk, even when the claim is unwarranted. A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study of blood lead levels in North Dakota hunters validates what hunters have always known: consuming game harvested with traditional ammunition containing lead does not pose a human health risk. The baseless claim that caused concern about consuming venison harvested with lead ammunition was born out of the anti-hunting movement. The story started when a dermatologist with ties to the Peregrine Fund -- an organization dedicated to eliminating the use of lead ammunition for hunting -- claimed to have collected packages of venison from food banks that contained lead fragments. Out of fear and an overabundance of caution, North Dakota health officials (who never conducted their own study) accepted the dermatologist’s findings and ordered all food banks to discard their venison. The CDC study was prompted because of the unscientific “study” conducted by the dermatologist, to determine if hunting with lead ammunition caused a health risk in humans. If the unscientific allegations of an individual who serves on the board of directors of a politically driven group intent on banning lead ammunition could start all this, you can be assured that other antihunting organizations will try to manipulate the data from the CDC study and scare people into thinking it is unsafe to eat game taken with traditional ammunition. To our point, the Humane Society of the United States, an anti-hunting group and not the organization that runs your local animal shelter, came out in favor of banning all lead ammunition. This is as unsurprising as it is baseless. Common sense and the CDC science based study demonstrate that this issue is not about ammunition. It’s about banning hunting. It’s important that all hunters and their families know this and other key facts from the study. • The average lead level of the hunters tested was actually lower than the blood lead level of the average American, including non-hunters. • The average lead level of children in the study was only .88 micrograms per deciliter of blood; the CDC’s level of concern for lead in children is 10 -- more than 10 times the amount found! • The difference between participants who ate wild game harvested with traditional ammunition and non-hunters was only .3 micrograms -- a clinically insignificant number. We believe strongly that hunters should take this opportunity to educate other hunters about the CDC study and the facts about consuming game harvested with traditional ammunition, with a reminder to properly field dress and butcher their game. Regardless of the findings of any study, it is always a good idea to remove and properly discard all shot-damaged meat before processing or cooking. Hunters should also point out the CDC study to local food pantries and organizations that feed the homeless with meat generously donated by hunters so that this valuable food source for needy persons is not wasted out of an overabundance of caution, misinformation or baseless fears. If you know a hunter or anyone who enjoys the pleasure of a venison meal, we urge you to forward this information to them in the spirit of spreading accurate information about eating venison taken with traditional ammunition.

I am someone who as the old adage goes ["Variety is the spice of life"] is always looking for an excuse to buy a new gun and caliber to try it out for hunting be it pistol, muzzleloader, shotgun or rifle. Seeing all those different guns and calibers and the glowing reports by other hunters just makes me want to give them a try and experience them myself. There are so many conditions to contend with that there are certainly options that will perform in some cases better than others so I actually hate the idea of being limited to just one. That being said if I had to go with one rifle and feel comfortable in using it in any senario it would be my Husqvarna bolt action light sporter in 280 Remington and I should say if the same gun was chambered in 270 Winchester it would be just as good as the calibers are virtually identical. Al

Nobody likes change, we all like what we know. Software upgrades are a common theme on message boards-forums because the old stuff is no longer supported so there is no choice in the matter other than closing shop. I had to have it done on my board recently and "Upland Journal" a board I frequent just went through their upgrade. Yes there is a small learning curve and a few gremlins that occur but after a couple of weeks of getting acquainted and used to how things operate all will be forgotten and the board actually will be better for the long haul. Al

I have used a lot of Sierra's bullets but mostly in my assorted Varmint rifles shooting their thin jacketed match-varmint styles. . For whatever the reason I have alway got my best pin point accuracy with them which is what I am looking for most of all in my Varmint handloads. I confess to never have used the Gamekings so I can not comment on their performance on bigger game but I would bet a good chunk of change that they will be accurate. I think for the most part today's modern jacketed big game bullets from all makers have came a long way in the last 50 years and are much more reliable than they were in the early days. When you find something that really shoots well out of your Deer rifle and you place your shot properly you will have no problem bringing home the venison. Al

A few more beauties! ------------------------------ q: : What is your date of birth? a: : July fifteenth. q: : What year? a: : Every year. -------------------------------------------- q: :could you see him from where you were standing? a: :I could see his head. q: :and where was his head? a: :just above his shoulders. ------------------------------------------ q: :any suggestions as to what prevented this from being a murder trial instead of an attempted murder trial? a: :the victim lived. -------------------------------------------- q: : How old is your son - the one living with you. a: : Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which. q: : How long has he lived with you? a: : Forty-five years. --------------------------------------- q: : And where was the location of the accident? a: : Approximately milepost 499. q: : And where is milepost 499? a: : Probably between milepost 498 and 500. --------------------------------------------- q: : Trooper, when you stopped the defendant, were your red and blue lights flashing? a: : Yes. q: : Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car? a: : Yes, sir. q: : What did she say? a: : What disco am I at? --------------------------------------------- q: : Were you present in court this morning when you were sworn in? ----------------------------------------------- q: : How many times have you committed suicide? a: : Four times. ----------------------------------------- q: : Did he kill you? -------------------------------------------- q: : You don't know what it was and you didn't know what it looked like, but can you describe it? ---------------------------------------------- q: : Have you lived in this town all your life? a: : Not yet. ------------------------------------------------ q: : How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision? ------------------------------------------------- q: : You were there until the time you left, is that true? ------------------------------------------- q: : Did you ever stay all night with this man in New York? a: : I refuse to answer that question. q: : Did you ever stay all night with this man in Chicago? a: : I refuse to answer that question. q: : Did you ever stay all night with this man in Miami? a: : No. -------------------------------------------- q: : Doctor, did you say he was shot in the woods? a: : No, I said he was shot in the lumbar region. -------------------------------------------- q: : Were you acquainted with the deceased? a: : Yes sir. q: : Before or after he died? ---------------------------------------------- q: : And you check your radar unit frequently? a: : Officer: "Yes, I do." q: : And was your radar unit functioning correctly at the time you had the plaintiff on radar? a: : Yes, it was malfunctioning correctly. ------------------------------------------- q: : Lawyer: "What happened then? a: : He told me, he says, 'I have to kill you because you can identify me.' q: : Did he kill you? a: : Witness: "No. ------------------------------------------ q: : Now sir, I'm sure you are an intelligent and honest man-- q: : Thank you. If I weren't under oath, I'd return the compliment. ---------------------------------------------- q: : You were not shot in the fracas? a: : No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the navel. ------------------------------------------- q: : What did the tissue samples taken from the victim's vagina show? a: : There were traces of semen. q: : Male semen? a: : That's the only kind I know of. --------------------------------------- q: : So, after the anaesthetic, when you came out of it,what did you observe with respect to your scalp? a: : I didn't see my scalp the whole time I was in the hospital. q: : It was covered? a: : Yes. Bandaged. q: : Then, later on, what did you see? a: : I had a skin graft. My whole buttocks and leg were removed and put on top of my head.

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court , word for word , taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?WITNESS: He said , 'Where am I , Cathy?'ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?WITNESS: My name is Susan!____________________________________________ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.____________________________________________ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?WITNESS: No , I just lie there.____________________________________________ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis , does it affect your memory at all?WITNESS: Yes.ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?WITNESS: I forget..ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?___________________________________________ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?WITNESS: We both do.ATTORNEY: Voodoo?WITNESS: We do..ATTORNEY: You do?WITNESS: Yes , voodoo.____________________________________________ATTORNEY: Now doctor , isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep , he doesn't know about it until the next morning?WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?____________________________________ATTORNEY: The youngest son , the 20-year-old , how old is he?WITNESS: He's 20 , much like your IQ.___________________________________________ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?WITNESS: Are you shitting me?_________________________________________ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?WITNESS: Yes.ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?WITNESS: Getting laid____________________________________________ATTORNEY: She had three children , right?WITNESS: Yes.ATTORNEY: How many were boys?WITNESS: None.ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?WITNESS: Your Honor , I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?____________________________________________ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?WITNESS: By death..ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?WITNESS: Take a guess.____________________________________________ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beardATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male._____________________________________ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?WITNESS: No , this is how I dress when I go to work.______________________________________ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?WITNESS: All of them.. The live ones put up too much of a fight._________________________________________ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral , OK? What school did you go to?WITNESS: Oral.._________________________________________ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PMATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?WITNESS: If not , he was by the time I finished.____________________________________________ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?______________________________________And last:ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?WITNESS: No.ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?WITNESS: No.ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?WITNESS: No..ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?WITNESS: No.ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

I am a big fan of the high end Bushnell binoculars, my first high quality binocular was the Bushnell "Custom" compact that the early NASA astronauts took into space, I still use them today and even though they are 50 years old and pretty beat up I can still see well out of them. Being an eyeglass wearer their extreme eye relief gives me a full field of view that few other brands do. Today's Bushnell "Legends" and "Elites" which I have also acquired and use have that same high end quality, eye relief and resolution as the old "Customs" and are a best buy. A pair of 10X42 Elites would be just the right ticket out west and tough to beat at any price. Al