mt624

Nice job! I've learned metal roofs are noisy in the woods and high efficiency propane heaters are better than wood stoves due to less scent in gear and outside the "blind." Eventually the deer at my place got used to the one that has a metal roof to some degree, but I can hear nuts or branches hit it on windy days from a couple hundred yards away. At least it is year round noise they get used to. But not smoke. Good luck and again great job!

I must have missed something. Who isn't paying taxes or is on public assistance and got this refund?

You do understand this is a tax refund, right? Reason I ask is you listed taxes as an important reason to determine who you vote for.

So $750 million in tax breaks isn't an important topic? The timing and implementation are what is "questionable." Seems crystal clear to me but what do I know? For those who get their tax refunds direct deposited, why was this rebate sent by check? Why didn't they wait until after the elections to refund the money?

You're really questioning that this or anything else they do isn't to "sway your vote"? The SAFE Act was to win votes, it really does nothing to prevent crime and we know that, right?They want to stay in office and to do that need to convince people to vote for them. It's a really simple truth, that's how a democracy works! They can spin it however they choose, but what better way to make it clear that they've created a surplus than to send out refund checks? (At the cost of $400,000 postage.) In case you're wondering, those tv commercials they run around this time of year are to sway your vote too. Jeeze... BTW, next year, when state lawmakers and the governor are not up for election, the child tax rebate will be a credit on your income tax form.

Same old two party political games. Divide and conquer strategy. Until we just keep voting incumbents out regardless of party and get rid of people making a career of "public service" nothing much will change. Doesn't matter which side you're on, most of the tactics they use to divide people shouldn't even be involved in politics. Stuff like these checks are blatant political maneuvers used by groups embedded long enough to know how to play the system, yet people are happy to get a check in the mail so they keep their mouths shut, or get side tracked on off topic partyline debates like we have here. The real issue isn't the check and who did or didn't get one and why etc etc. We're all guilty of wasting energy on here like it will make us feel better. It just perpetuates the objectives of "those in power." That's my 2 cents worth donation, I'm going outside! :-)

Paula, do you own land in ny? There was something in that article about property tax refund checks going out in October too... Your windfall may still be coming!

That's why I asked Culvercreek the question, and ask anyone who knows - Does it make a difference from a legal standpoint if the person trespassing is hunting or not?

Agreed, and it is nice to know the sheriff or the ECO can handle the issue, especially for those who mentioned limited ECO's in their area.

I agree 100% Culvercreek Hunt Club, thanks for the clarification! Apparently at the time the sheriff must have considered my property improved or well enough marked. I'm glad you pointed that out, it must have been a loose interpretation and I mistook that for "law." The last thing I want to do is misinform. Is there a difference in the trespass law in terms of knowingly entering an unimproved property vs hunting it?

I just did a quick Google search of NYS trespassing law and looks like under penal "unless such notice is given by posting in a conspicuous manner" or a few other means a person can lawfully enter unimproved land, so it looks like there is room for interpretation in there for sure if that's accurate. I applaud you Doc for not leaving much room for interpretation of your boundaries!

I'm not quoting law. I'm not an attorney or expert on the matter. That's why I didn't post laws or specifics and didn't quote anything; it's up to the person to do their own research. I'm sorry if something came across differently. When I had a trespasser charged by my sheriff, the sheriff did not require the land to be legally posted as it would need to be under environmental law. The sheriff told me it did not need to be posted to have someone charged under (I believe) "penal" code, but please correct me if I'm mistaken. That was pretty much how a conservation officer later summarized it to me, the landowner has to post the property legally to charge trespass under environmental law. Maybe under penal some "keep out" type signs or something similar are needed? But both the sheriff and the ECO acknowleged seperately that I could have people charged for trespassing without having the property legally posted. Maybe they know particulars about my land that I'm not realizing affect why that's possible. Gate across driveway?

Where it went so bad was people saying if the line was posted they wouldn't have crossed it, sort of like saying if the doors were locked they wouldn't have borrowed your car or entered your house as an excuse - using your examples with respect. See the "line" that was crossed there? Land is personal property someone owns, a lack of signs does not give someone else the right to use it. Just like leaving your car unlocked does not give someone the right to enter it. People have a right to use public land, with that right comes the responsibility to know where you are and whether or not you belong there. It's simple. Put in the effort! And look at all the confusion and conflicting information about something as simple as posting on here - people come on and give advice with good intentions I guess but they don't know what they're talking about. Personally what it boils down to for me is I make sure my land is posted legally under environmental law (different than penal law as some have pointed out) but I don't go crazy trimming trees, painting, going significantly closer than 660' between signs, etc which I think has the potential to be an eye sore in the woods and just creates a lot of extra work for me. But my boudary lines are mostly obvious, and where they aren't I make sure the signs are apparent, that's all. If you need to do more that's your call. I notify my local conservation officers once a year that this has been done and welcome them to come out and inspect it. If I catch someone, I charge them - no questions. And the officer can then verify in court that the property was legally posted. Once word got out that I charge people, most of the problems stopped as people didn't want the hassle of going to court whether they ended up paying a small or large fine. Charging people is easy, just take back tag info and ID then give a written deposition. No officer need be present, and cell phone recordings (video, pictures) help. BTW, I do put my cell phone on all the signs and this has helped tremendously with the ethical hunters too, but I only let them track onto the land if I am (or one of my guys is) present and there is good sign. I've unfortunately had a few neighbors ruin the blood trail thing too... Also, I do not put my full name - first initial last name. Have had people see names on signs and then use those names saying: "insert name on sign here" gave me permission. And for the person who said posting boudaries is like taking a walk in the woods - I must be doing something wrong all these years because it is a lot of work to do it right!! For the guys saying the burden is on the landowner and you would stay off posted hunting land but don't know if you cross onto private from public if it's not marked, etc. - The burden is also on you to know where you are. Land does not need to be posted to be charged for trespass, that's only under environmental law. (I'm not singling any one out, but several have made similar comments to this.) The burdon under penal is more on you, burden under environmental is more on the landowner. But to say you wouldn't go there if it was marked is like saying you wouldn't steal a car if it was locked, plain and simple! If you don't own it and it's not public, you have no right to be on it. Also, regardless of the law and what it says, there's a thing called ethics. If you were not taught them, you should learn them and surround yourself with hunters who practice them. Again, not saying "you" to single anyone out, just spouting my 2 cents worth. Having hunted private property growing up carrying a permission slip and tax maps (folded up in a baggy before they had zip locks), and now after owning land for 20 years and constantly have people trying to take advantage of me, my patience for those who want to tell me what to do and how to do it has worn thin.

I assume you've gone to this page and looked at the charts? http://www.barnesbullets.com/information/load-data/muzzleloader/ I've used Barnes for years and this takes a lot of the guess work out of it and gets you at a good starting point, love the bullets. Good luck!

Thanks BigGuyNY, that was really bugging me why you didn't get through. I was in Potter County PA with no cell coverage for a few days when you called and my cell provider updated the voicemail program at the end of the month during that same time. At least I got your message, even if it took a week! Technology... Hopefully that doesn't happen again. Sorry about that, good luck this season!

BigGuyNY I posted a reply on here and PM'd you my cell number and I see you've logged in a couple times since then but I still haven't heard from you. I would like to get to the bottom of why you couldn't reach me and see what we can do to help you out if you're still interested. Thanks -Mike

Sorry, ma'am! Foot removed from mouth now. I was wondering when I typed that... And shouldn't have assumed! We're always open to the idea but it's far from full time and usually even with only two people involved there's little profit to share, but we enjoy it and meeting like minded people. If the business grows we'll be looking for people to bring on or partner with.

Occassionally, but I think you sir are overqualified.

BigGuyNY, This is Mike I'll send you a PM with my info but I have no unanswered emails that have come through and no voicemails I haven't answered. We're slammed this time of year, I apologize if I've missed you somehow. This is a side business for Dave and I, and after we installed the plot for JFB he told me he made a post on here so I've been keeping an eye on it as I post on here occassionally too. It has generated a lot of calls from around the state which is great and we've tried getting back with everyone, but just can't cover the entire state as a two man "on the side" operation. I'll see if Dave is having email issues but I can assure you we aren't purposely not responding.

Well, for starters regulation, otherwise known as "red tape"

Timing seems to be the same every year to me. I think weather and doe to buck ratio along with hunting pressure and crops affect how "visible" the activity appears to me, but the phases all seem consistent year to year within a couple calendar days.

Awesome! Great job making the best of it Aaron and congratulations! You learned a lot and great outcome! Thanks for the update.

Paula, in his first post he says the shot was just before dark. In his second he said he decided to hunt to dark and had been walking out already when he decided to hunt more. He then said he tracked for an hour almost getting lost in the dark. I'm not assuming anything, only trying to help him as he said this is his first deer after 3 seasons of trying. I was simply clarifying and offering advice.

Good luck Aaron, beyond looking for tracking sign look for the body in thick areas and any nearby water sources. Do a grid search if there's no trail to follow. Thanks for clarifying the backstop. Hope you find her, she should be in the area.

1st you don't track a gut shot deer right away. Leave it over night in this case, should have backed out. 2nd, you don't shoot when it's dark or "hunt until dark" and this is why. Look up what time, down to the minute, legal sunrise and sunset are where you hunt. A gut shot deer is a dead deer as they say. If you don't push it and nothing else spooks it, they typically bed down and die within 150 yards. Google search and read up on it. Go out and look in the morning. Also, sounds like you may have shot uphill at a deer with no backstop. Very dangerous. Hard to know from your description, just saying. Good luck