NYBowhunter

Some of my land is steep mountain side as well portions that are deep ditches a stream that runs entire length of property, woods with both good proprtion of hard and soft mass and a ton of crab apple trees. I had a few existing open fields that i converted to food plots, but i wasnt satisfied had a guy come in with a dozer and made a trail to acess the top of my property and put in two more plots. I also set aside an approx. 10 acres piece in the center of my property and desiginate that as a sanctuary, the only time i have ever ventured in there was to retrieve a deer, otherwise i stay out. Have not been in that sanctuary in 2 years. Food plots, sanctuaries, water and how you access all this plays a huge part in sucess of both harvesting and holding deer. But im a realistic person and i know that 40 acres or 500 for that matter will not keep a buck or doe confined to my land. But i will do whats needed to give them a reason to be there (or pass thru).

Even a 1000 acres wont hold a buck down. Nice to have a couple hundred acres but totally unnecesaary to kill quality deer. Id take a quality 30 acre peice over a 300 acre mediocre piece any day of the week.

Total BS, you dont have a clue. Ill put my 40 acres property up against any 500 acres piece near me. Its not the size, its what you do to improve the land and what the land naturally has to offer.

Partially true, however too many doe can work against you. I kill a couple doe off 40 acres every year and i see more and more bucks.

If you have a DMP and are willing to take a doe but yet the property you hunt forbids the takimg of doe, im sorry but the landowner or club is just clueless. Its an old mentality that makes absolutely no sense.

1) yes prague powder #1 is the curing agent i use only because i also smoke mine before i set them off to dry. 2)room temps oh god no, read my OP, they are hung in a seasonal patio and i only make these in the dead of winter so the patio is like a fridge. This can only work if you have a cold dry place to hang them for a couple to a few weeks. 3) too cold for flys, no mice then again the way i hang them mice would never be able to get to them. FYI- air pockets are not the product of the drying process. This ocurrs if the sausage is not suffed properly into the casings. You want to load the casings firmly and go slow to try and avoid air pockets. As careful as you are, you will still get some air pockets, but they should be small and taken care of before you toss that link aside. All air pockets get eliminated by using a sausage pricker (or a pin) and puncturing the air pockets and also lighly squeezing each link. Hope that helps.

Cant say for sure but you should use a medium to fine plate.

Yes long gone.

I cant cut it fast enough ...lol..my kids devour it, but so do i..lol

I have 2 metal stakes driven into the ground that give added support to the 4x4 corner deck post, the 4x4 meat pole post is screwed into the deck post and it is also anchored to the cabin.

Okay thanks

Wow, im heading up that way in a few days. How much snow is on the ground? Any more snow expected for next week?

Good luck.

Yeah not too far from Oneonta, im about 20 minutes heading east out of Oneonta on Rt. 23. If your concerned about antler restriction you need to be careful because route 23 divideds into 2 units, one unit is affected by the 3 point rule and 4F is not.

I hunt both Otsego and Deleware, im on the border of both counties and have properties in both even though they are only a few minute car ride apart. Both properties lie in 2 different counties but are both within unit 4F. Typically in unit 4F chances are very high to get a DMP every year, i dont apply for DMPs but both my Uncle and Dad did and both got DMP's for 4F. In most years they both get or one will get.

Deleware or Otsego counties , very good chance at getting DMP every year.

Keep them in same areas i put them during bow and off seasons , my foodplots.

Wife made some chicken curry over rice, amazing!!

Damn, you murderer. Talk about spillage!!!

Made this month or so ago, 10 feet off ground , with 2 ton hoist and gambrell. Can raise deer with two fingers. Right outside cabin front door, easy to carry quartered meat right to the kitchen.

Sounds to me like your burning out yourself and the property. Give it a week or couple week break to recharge yourself and the land. I dont get out even a fraction of the hours you have logged, but i still give the land a break for a week or two if i put in a few days of hunting. Seems to work for me., but then again doesnt take much to educate deer on 40 acres. Even if i dont educate the deer, i like to give my property a break for other deer to ease back in.

Damn what the hell is that 12" black thing strapped to you? Lol. Good lord thats a long stabalizer.

Sure that deer is not mixed with feline, wicked color to her fur.

35 all day long.

Damn 127hrs. on stand, think i have like 15 hrs. tops. Ouch, thats gotta reek havoc on your butt and back.