airedale

Wow!!

I have eaten Bear meat a couple of times and did not really care for it so it would depend a lot on where it was killed and how big it was, how far it had to be dragged to a vehicle. Many of the hunting shows I have seen on Bear hunting, especially wilderness hunting a long way from their vehicle or camp, hunters will just skin them out with head and claws intact, roll the hide up and strap it to a pack frame. Some will take the backstraps and maybe some other what they consider choice cuts and pretty much leave the rest of the carcass. Or just hike back in and carry more out but as for me I would not be inclined to break my butt dragging out a whole Bear that I was not going to utilize. Probably why Bear hunting never really appealed to me. Al

NY State Houndsmen got the training of running Bear with dogs with no killing restored after a lot of work. We almost had regular hunting restored, got everything through the legislature and it just had to be signed by Mario Cuomo a Democrat of course who refused to sign it. He based his decision on the disingenuous anti hunting movie The Bear, which in reality was laughable. Al

Looks like some first class outfits. Al

ATI manufactures a large and varied line of over and unders, I believe this Cavalry O/U Turkey shotgun is based on something from their current models made over with features especially suited for the Turkey hunter. From what I see in the above video and what I am reading this is a new release Al

The video posted above on the ATI site according to the rep these shotguns are made to fire TSS shot. Interchanges with Carlson’s Beretta/Benelli Mobil style threads Al

Well I like this gun way too much and put my order in for a 20 ga, I will use it some for Turkeys but I am going to like it for varmints most I think. Al

I will start off saying I am no Bear hunter myself, zero Bear population in the areas I have hunted down through the years. Years ago one could hunt Bear with dogs in NY and I had a buddy that wanted me to join him in a hunt and to see how my Airedales would work out. I was fired up to give it a go but the first Cuomo Governor along with his allies in animal rights ended Bear hunting with dogs. I have friends that hunt them in other state and Canada over bait with real good success. Seems like I read somewhere some hunters have had limited success with varmint calls. By far the majority I know that have taken Bear in NY have done it while Deer hunting as a target of opportunity. Al

I have long been warning about the Democrat's ammo scheme, control the ammo and you can largely control guns. There is no second amendment when it comes to ammo so it is easier for them to get laws passed. Democrats are the ruination of this country and especially so with the outdoor-shooting sports. There are elements within that party that are trying to close down everything we as outdoor folks enjoy. As far as I am concerned vote Democrat and you are cutting your own throat. Al

Link to ATI's site showing a short video explaining this shotgun. Another thing I like about doubles is the ability to have two different chokes, the hunter has instant access to either barrel depending on the situation instantly. Al ATI TURKEY FOWL 12GA 3" SGD O/U 22" BBL, BOTTOMLAND CAMO STK, 10MM RIB, FO SIGHT, XF & MOD EXT CHOKE | American Tactical

In hill country doping the wind exactly is extremely difficult, the trees and hill create swirling almost impossible. I just tried the powder stuff this month and for what it is worth it seemed to work halfway decently, as you pointed out long distance is not it's virtue. Before I head out I will watch the flag on my flag pole to see which direction the wind is blowing, it at least gives me an idea. Then there are the old standbys, a wet finger and if I take my hat off a breeze hitting my shaved head gives me a good direction. That is it for me, has worked halfway decent down through the years. What does work real well are shooting range wind flags, not the most practical in the woods hunting although someone with one of those fancy permanent stands could have them preplaced in their shooting lanes which would probably work and give a heads up. Al

Can not do the stuff I once did as a young buck but I try to hang in and hit the timber the best I can. I will hunt for a couple of more weeks and do some Coyote and Rabbit hunting just to get in the woods which in itself is enjoyable for me. Back in the day March would be the time I would be getting my fishing gear set for Trout and Walleyes, and fine tuning my Woodchuck rifles and handloading ammo for them. The hunting of Woodchucks is over in my area, not enough to mess with and it is actually rare to see one. Still do some fishing. Summertime was always dog training for my Coon dogs which is pretty much over with for me. I am considering getting a dedicated Squirrel Dog to fool around with. So I mess around here on my hobby farm with some livestock throughout the rest of the summer along with a small garden, it is hunting season again before I know it. Al

Here is the one my kid got me for Christmas Rob, I like it and maybe you can get an idea from it.

It is all about making for fun and my love for shooting. I have some pretty nice firearms and I did not buy them to look at. Al

That shotgun would work out great for a varmint caller who mainly works the timber and has shots at shorter ranges. Years ago I used a Browning BSS s/s 3inch mag 12 ga, I killed a lot of Foxes with that gun but it was HEAVY. This O/U with short barrels and choke tubes, drilled for and optic base along with having sling mounts and it's light weight covers a lot of bases. Al

Like this idea, I am a fan of doubles and used my side by side last year on my Turkey hunts. Al

One of my all time favorite things to do was bowfishing for the Sucker's big brother "Carp", it is Carp that actually got me into archery. I had some ideal shooting back in the day and was at it all summer long. I see there is quite a bit of activity for bowfishing these days, some specialized bows and boats that are set up and equipped for just that. Al

All should be fine for you First Light, when it comes to Lyme I think it is better to be safe than sorry. Al

This is the time of year the ice went out on a nearby river I lived next to when I was a Kid. Suckers were the first thing we fished for, all night time fishing off the bank with worms, we used old tires for a bon fire so we could see. Caught quite a few of what they called dogfish too, basically big salamanders. It was a blast. Al

I figure I might as well go whole hog and get the reset reactive accessory targets that slide on a cross member and another bag of suckers, 400 for about $20 pretty cheap shooting. I am thinking I should be able to hang an archery target on this thing also. Al

So after some thought this is the plan for the "Sucker" shooting gallery. This GoSports "Blast" bracket kit uses 2x4s to assemble a completely portable target frame, the length of the 2x4s will determine it's dimensions. Just drill spaced out holes along the top of the cross members to insert the suckers, should work great. The good part is it's versatility and portability to use various types of other targets. Under $60 at Amazon. My trigger finger is itching. Al

I have come to be a big fan of compact scopes, I went over to SWFA but that scope is not in stock, it can be backordered. Never heard of the manufacturer so I would like to know a bit more about that before I took the plunge. The American brands namely Burris and Leupold both marketed some nice compacts but today they have fallen by the wayside, poor sales is usually the culprit. I keep checking ebay and have been buying good used Burris compacts if they are affordable, My favorite is the Burris Timberline that was selling for about $250 just a couple of years ago. Now that it is discontinued they are going for astronomical prices. Just did a quick check and this one on ebay is crazy high priced. Al

Those are pretty neat Rob, nice work on them, one of my boys gave me an item made in a similar style for Christmas a few years ago. Where he got it or what was paid I do not have a clue. As far as price you have to try your best and find what the going price is for items in that kind of style are selling for and price your stuff accordingly. Al

Doc is right about raptors, raise some free range chickens in a country setting, it will soon become apparent what wildlife is up against. Al

When doing your own scope-base work the most important tool are good quality screwdrivers made for gun work. Dedicated gun screwdrivers have the right grind to fit screw slots perfectly to keep you from buggering the screw up. Many scope rings and mounts are changing over to star and allen type screw heads so the screws can be torqued better. The Wheeler set below will handle just about any screw type you will run into when doing scope jobs and well worth the investment. Al