k burke

Curmudgeon, I'm with you and the other Non-NRA but pro-gun and pro hunting hunters. I also agree that it doesn't help to recruit new hunters who may not care about or agree with positions of the NRA and therefore not want to support the NRA if there constantly and rudely told they have to. People don't typically want to be members of groups if they feel they are not welcome and folks just starting out trying to meet with others and get into hunting would be hard pressed to get passed that. I'd much rather put my financial support to hunting organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, RGS, etc.

Oleg - looks like you sent this out a while ago, but if you are still interested. I hunt Sterling regularly and can potentially meet up with you. I'm not hunting there opening week / weekend but otherwise let me know. Regards, KB

Personally, I think what a lot of people call "gamey tasting" is really just a matter of their taste buds being used to crappy grain fed beef and poultry. I feel like they have little if any flavor compared to free range animals and then whatever flavor may be left is cut down on even more by the bleach / ammonia washes we do here in the US. Cousins from Australia couldn't believe how tasteless the beef was here compared to home where they're all pretty much grass fed. I think canada goose breasts are very good - no marinade, just fried or grilled with some salt and pepper - tastes like good beef to me. The legs / thighs are another matter for some reason - those I gave to my chinese friend and otherwise will or feed to the dog. Ducks - i haven't got that many but the mallards I got weren't bad just probably need to eat a few more or will try making jerky. I don't shoot it if I don't like eating it - or know someone who does.

Congratulations! What organizations offer marksmanship certifications? Is it only the NRA or are there others as well? I'd like to get some for rifle, archery, and shotgun if possible.

Here's one for you. Legalize drugs. Tax the crap out of them for revenue. Save a little bit for treatment, but take the rest along with the BILLIONS spent on the unsuccessful War on Drugs and put more enforcement on the street / removing illegal guns. The only ones getting hurt would be the adults choosing to do the drugs and as a side benefit you undercut all the revenue generated by terrorists and criminal organizations by greatly reducing the price to suppliers.

From a quick search this 2010 article suggests that the 500' rule wasn't changed, but that they were able to find some places that either were compliant with the rule or had some homeowner permission. "Boyan said the town issues permits to only a limited number of qualified bow hunters. They may then hunt only on selected sites....." http://www.irondequoitpost.com/features/x1684099742/Irondequoit-bow-hunt-to-reduce-deer-herd-is-once-again-under-way Seems like it's working pretty good for them.

interesting about Irondequoit. How'd they get the reduction of the 500' rule? Isn't that set by law requiring either permission from the landowners or a change of the legislature?

Doubt bowhunting will work in that area unless the 500' rule is GREATLY reduced. Probably be hard pressed to find a spot unless it was 100' or less.

Isn't that always the case - side of the road where they're safe on the way home! BTW - I stopped in to the check in station on my way out to see if anyone had anything in there and was chatting with one of the parks guys (there was only one today at 10am at that point). I asked him if there were any bears taken this year and he said someone got one during bow season that was over 500 lbs! He said there scale had gotten up to 500lbs when the metal boom started to bend so they just cut the line to prevent it from breaking! The other was a 55lb cub on the 1st day of gun - didn't think to ask if the guy got prosecuted if it was a cub.

Was it your first time there? You do have to be careful it is 15K acres - thankfully it's not as overgrown as some other areas like Stewart where there's not way through in the direction you want to go and have to backtrack! I'm thinking your rock throwing bigfoot was a beaver slapping it's tail and the first time I heard it it scared the crap out of me too. Thought it was someone on shore throwing bowling balls at us. Almost capsized the canoe! I went in by Blue Mtn. lake at 5:45, sat for a bit then still hunted a loop over to the cedar pond parking area and out by 11am. Did not even see one squirrel! Is everything hibernating?

I'll be there as well. Took my son for about an hour and a half till sundown. Nothing - only saw one squirrel just a sundown. Fog cut visibility to about 40 yds.

If you think that's the case, why not call DEC and give as much of a description as possible? It's not going to stop unless someone stops it.

Wow - good man Warren. I do hope I get to use it. Thanks again. KB

Email sent. Must say it's generous of you to think of others and I hope we can work something out. Regards, Kevin Burke

Greg - in all seriousness, I'm sorry to hear of your condition and hope you have a full recovery. I don't know if there's any perfect solution, but hopefully those Obama care changes will indeed lower medical costs and improve the medical system overall. Regards, KB

lol I'm glad my cousin told me Obama smoked crack (among other accusation against him and GW Bush that I won't repeat) a few days ago. So when the Jackkboots knocked on my door this morning I just offered them some crack instead and they left me alone! lol FYI - my cousin bears a striking resemblance to Ted Kazinscki.

I've come across a few in the woods and I don't think you have much to worry about. First of all, you'd be hard pressed to sneak up on one. No matter how quite we think we are stalking - we're really not that quite - especially if the wind is not in our favor. I've read that the vast majority of black bear charges are bluffs that end a few feet from you. I'd be more concerned if cubs were around. Regardless, even if it wasn't a bluff you still have a razor sharp broad head you could use as a knife - no need to be a marksmen. BTW - the bear literature they give out in Alaska says that you fight back against a black bear - don't play dead like you would with a grizzly.

My guess is that the chances of NY DEC searching other states lists of resident hunters is about as close to zero as possible. If you can meet the MA residency requirements I would say not to worry about NY. Even if you cannot have residency in both and NY did by some miracle see you had both and wanted to talk to you about it, you should have no problem telling them you decided to change residency. I doubt there's a law the prevents you from using your already purchased residency tag for the entire season. I know for fact it doesn't hold lifetime licenses - they've been mailing mine to me in NJ for 10 years.

I know you can't hunt the AT corridor in Sterling (Harriman / Bear Mtn. too). Not sure about other sections.

I believe I'm on about 9 or 10 years. Like some others, moved out of state later the year I bought it so I have definitely gotten my $500 purchase back many times at this point. It's nice to just get the turkey and DMP tags.

I'd agree with everyone, although off the top of my head I was pretty sure you are not allowed to store any personal property on state land (exception would be duck blinds properly labeled). I'd imagine public land allowing storage would explicitly state so and that an officer could reasonably say that putting a stand out the night before would be considered storage. Honestly, I hunt public land in 3n as well and it's very unlikely that DEC would find your stand especially if its only there the night before. The general public however - you take your chances. As far as claiming a spot, I agree with others that it's first come / first served. And if you're there first others should move on once your presence is known to them from a flashlight or quick call out. But I wouldn't consider you putting a stand out the night before as getting there first so if I were to be sitting at the base the tree with your stand in it and you come in after me - I may or may not move on depending on my mood. Something to consider - you may have someone beat you to your spot and have no use of your stand at all that day.

I've seen three bears there in the ~10 years I've been hunting there. One I got a shot at, but missed with the shotgun slug. One while I was spring turkey hunting and another one while deer hunting that I couldn't get a shot at. There's really no way to know when or where they'll be. As for the orange army - I don't have a problem with it. I get in deep so it's not that crowded and I just move if I come across someone. Personally, never had any safety concerns / close calls. It's just the price of hunting close to the city but I imagine it's one of the better places within the commuting counties due to the size and required permits.

You can also eat them. Never had one personally, but seem to recall someone saying they tasted good.

I got 3p with a preference point as well. Denied 3N - hope to get one either during the supplemental or from some one generous enough to sign one over.

No method is perfect, but bottom line for me is that these are trained professionals with advanced degrees (probably) in an scientific area, probably working with a somewhat consistent and accepted method. I don't see how or what other method(s) would be better.