coonhunter

If you can still feel them pricking , get your hands softened up doing a batch of dishes or taking a bath. Then take some good tape and pat it on the affected area. It is not 100%, but it sure does help.

That's just it. I don't believe the state has any plans of adding game wardens. It's all just another feel good measure to make it look like the state is doing something to help out the legal hunters. The ECO's hands are tied. They have way to much ground to cover and way too many complaints. The state does not take the hunting industry seriously like most states. Another point I would like to point out, and I may be alone in this opinion, is that I do not feel a poaching penalty should be harsher than a DWI, assault, or most crimes that involve people being injured or put at risk. You can call me a poacher all you want just because I don't agree with your views, but I am a hunter that usually shoots a couple deer a year, and most of the time they are both does because big bucks don't give up opportunities every year. Like others mention, I also get frustrated sitting in a stand during bow season and hearing the single rifle shots first thing in the morning, or just around dark. But, with one game warden for the area, what can he do? He can't be everywhere.

I hunt all over 4F and several of the 7 units. I am almost 50 years old. Back when I first started hunting I would have several encounters with game wardens small game hunting, coon hunting, and deer hunting. That all ended in the early 90's. The only encounters I have had with game wardens while hunting in the last 20+ years are when I have stopped in the Brookfield Stateland just to talk to a parked officer. They are close to non-exhistant around me. The game laws seem to be pretty much on the honor system around here when it comes to land animals. By the same token, the first day of trout season, the game wardens come out of the woodwork to check fishing licences. I just don't see any changes having much of an impact around me.

They are such great pictures, and thanks for giving the link to the other shots of the owl on her head. It really gives a good perspective on how big they are.

I am another fan of the Timberland Pro. I am on concrete all day, and have tried most brands. Although the Redwings saved my feet, ankles, and legs, they were much heavier than the Timberland Pros. I get 2+ years out of a pair, then the bottoms of my feet start to ache.

Thanks for sharing these pictures. I have never seen one in the wild before. Also, congratulations on taking the chance with weather on its way, and having it pay off so well.

Fletch, I have the same gun. My dad owned this gun and I grew up shooting it. This gun is special to me because it is very recognizable in the one field photo of my dad that I have. I have always loved this gun. It has killed hundreds of woodchucks, a couple dozen coyotes, and quite a few grouse and rabbits. If I am small game hunting, most of the time I am carrying this gun.

My brother and I are done until cold weather. We have had a pretty good run on the crappies at night, but the ice at our lakes and ponds is shot and the shores are gone.

I just don't get it. I bow hunt by myself sometimes, and sometimes with friends. One of my friends bought a crossbow last year and used it this year. Last year he got a buck with his vertical and this year he shot a doe with his crossbow. Same result for me, I got the pleasure of helping out on a 1/2 mile drag. I just don't worry about what others hunt with. Good hunters will continue to get the majority of the nice bucks whether it is with bow, cross bow, or gun. Hunting spots will continue to get harder to find and fewer hunters will go out. They can change the rules, seasons, limits, or whatever the DEC wants, but it will not change the fact that fewer hunters are in the woods every year.

When I was a teenager we set up on hedgerows next to a fence. We put out a great horned owl decoy and hung black socks on the fence and on tree branches. We never shot the first one that came in. He almost always flew off and a few minutes later a flock would come in, giving us a few minutes of good shooting. Then we would pick up and move to a place to start all over.

I can only dream of knowing now what I thought I knew then.

I love to see these pictures. In this day of horn hunting, so many deer hunters have lost the togetherness that hunting has meant for so many years and generations. They get so caught up in shooting the biggest buck that they lose out on a ton of fun. There is nothing wrong with sharing the fun and burden of scouting and setting up stands. And, there is nothing wrong with sharing the joy and accomplishment of killing some nice deer. Some years you may be the odd one out, but you can still be a part of group.

I still do a bunch of bow shooting and thinking about buying a new one. As usual, I will probably just stick to my old lights out bow because it always does the job. My brother has talked me into getting back out ice fishing and showing him how to find fish on the bigger lakes. I haven't been out in a few years. I spend a lot of time with my wife and friends that we don't see most of the summer because of dirt racing and demo derbies. We go out to eat on the weekend for one night, and do a lot of visiting and hosting. I really try hard too because it takes a good woman to like someone that has so many hobbies in the spring-fall time frame.

All I can say is practice enough to know you are going to hit what you aim at. Myself, and others on here literally shoot thousands of arrows a year from slam dunk shots, out to ranges in the 50-70 yard area. Now that doesn't mean I am going to shoot deer out that far, but it sure does make a 30-40 yard shot easy. I have missed one deer in the last 20+ years, and I have shot a bunch of them. I weaned myself on practice in the yard, shooting leagues and with friends, and stacking up the does and young bucks. Like the thread starter, I had a few piss poor shots along the way, but always ended up finishing the deal. Now, sometimes I will go 2-3 years without shooting a buck because I hold out for the three and up big boys. It doesn't bother me one bit. I just shoot a doe with my archery tag near the end of the season, or in the late season. I get my enjoyment from helping others learn to archery hunt and finding their initial successes and failures. After all this rambling, I guess all I can say is do what you enjoy. Don't compare yourself to other hunters unless you really feel you are lacking in some areas and it bothers you. Don't be afraid to ask for some help from others that hunt, and never be afraid to learn. I am almost 50 and I am never all that surprised when another hunter points out something that i was overlooking or just plain ignoring.

I have always used feathers, and have had a whisker biscuit for years now. My feathers are put on by my bow man, and I have never had them come off. I can't remember if he uses alcohol or acetone to prep the arrow, but they stay on. The arrows I shoot in league I have used for several years. The feathers are worn to hell, but they are still glued to the shaft. The other guys can't believe I still shoot them, but there are only four that consistently shoot higher than me, I just don't want to use new arrows on something that doesn't matter. As for hunting in the weather, rain and snow seem to have little or no effect. Freezing rain and a mixed precipitation means that I have to keep the feathers from freezing up. I still remember the first time I shot a deer in the rain. As soon as I hit my release, my eyes stung and I didn't know what happened. All the water in the feathers had sprayed my face and startled me because I thought for a second something had hurt my eyes. I love feathers and fixed blades and see no reason to change.

I have a perfect example from this season. I shot two does a day apart. The first one was so big that I had my scope turned way up just to make sure it wasn't a buck that had shed already. She dressed out at 162. The next day I shot a normal doe and she dressed at 105. The big doe is the biggest one I have shot in years and maybe ever.

I will be in a brand new spot with a friend on opening morning of rifle. I looked over maps of the property and surrounding properties to get the lay of the land. We did a quick walk thru of spots that looked good from above and picked out a few stand sites to use for a couple different winds. Always nice to pick up new land to hunt.

4F was a mixed bag over the weekend. Some bucks still together, a couple hound dogging at a fast clip, and a couple working scrapes. Same with the does. Some still had fawns with them, and some were by themselves.

If I am checking out new land, I find the thickest cover there and set up a stand to observe morning and evening movement. This will usually point me towards the food sources and the ability to set up some hunting stands or blinds.

I just get up high so I can move enough to flip pages during slow periods. I am not a phone person at all and anyone that matters knows i am hunting, so they won't text unless it is really important, and that includes work. I am fortunate in the fact that I am patient, do not get cold very easily, and do not get discouraged over a few slow days. And, for the record, I do not always sit all day. Just depends on the situation in the woods.

I am fortunate in the fact that my hunting areas give out plenty of doe tags, so me and my friends always have plenty between us for ourselves, families, and friends. That being said, I have shot enough bucks, and several of them nice ones, that it doesn't bother me not to fill a buck tag. Almost all of my deer have been killed on open land and state land that receive a lot of pressure during gun season, but only light to moderate during bow. So, obviously, most of my big bucks have been taken during bow. I get most of my deer hunting enjoyment helping others now. What comes easy for me, is not that simple for youngsters, or hunters that have never had someone show them the ropes. I get just as much or more enjoyment watching them shoot a doe or small buck, as I ever will killing another big buck. For all the hard core horn hunters out there, think about the nice bucks you saw pictures of last year. Now, try and remember the names of the hunters that shot them. All anyone says about me is that if i shot a buck, they know it is a nice one. That is a tiny circle of about 10-15 people. Chances are, it is not going to make you famous. Don't obsess so much that you take the fun right out of it.

For you pickle makers out there, I have a friend that does jalapeno peppers in a bread and butter recipe. These things are addicting. Sweet, but still carry some heat.

That is awesome that you were successful getting such a great picture of the woodcock. Thanks for putting it up.

Nice, Curmudgen. I have seen an adult cross the road on my way to work a few times between Unadilla and Sidney. First one I have seen in a few years.

Must have been the weekend for it because my wife and I went to see The Band Perry, and we also are going to Yankee Stadium to see Garth as well. I vowed that I was done with the city, but between the opportunity to see Garth again, and the women ganging up on me, I gave in for a day and night trip.