coonhunter

I am a cnc mill operator most of the time. I take production jobs and make them more profitable and easier to run. I learned through an adult BOCES class like 25 years ago. I came out ready to work, and had lots of more experienced machinists help me through the years. I am always learning new stuff, and making no or little profit jobs into money makers ended up being my little specialty in the company I work for.

I'm still working full time and my wife is too. Last week when i did my banking, I was hunting for a mistake because I had way too much money in my checking account after paying April's bills. No mistake, just no recreation for me or my wife. Work and home for me with a walk after dark ,or early morning on the weekend. I literally haven't been anywhere but the gas station and work, except yesterday I went fishing for a couple hours. About driving me nuts, and I have a feeling not much is changing for awhile yet.

RJW Sales LLC is the facebook page. Great owner that will do all he can to help you out whether you are looking for something specific or if you are new and looking for help.

I couldn't stand the sitting inside any longer and went out for some fresh crappies. It was a little chilly and took a little searching for them. But after a half hour I was on them good with little jigs tipped with a piece of night crawler. I kept six for a little fresh fish fry for supper. I thought they would be shallower, but found them on a little drop off that goes from 8 to 12 feet pretty quickly. They were apparently stacked pretty good because it was literally like shooting fish in a barrel.

That is an awesome birthday present for a young man that enjoys fishing.

Mine are just up enough to know they are coming along. I usually get mine in turkey season. This year I believe they will have to be dug at least a week earlier. My area is like yours G-Man, tons of them.

For my wife and I, so far both of our businesses we work for are considered essential because both places supply to the medical field. If worst came to worst, my wife could do most of her job at home. I would be out of luck, being a machinist. I have no idea how long this will last or stay the same. Like a lot of people I have no interest in time off. Others don't mind at all. At this point, it is completely out of my control. We are far from rich, but could make it for quite awhile if we had to without digging into retirement funds. On the other hand, there are a ton of people that barely make it paycheck to paycheck. They are the ones I feel the worst about.

For some reason, even though I catch a lot of nice fish during warm weather, I love catching crappies and perch through the ice. Probably just because I have fewer options of things to do in the winter. This weekend was great with the warm weather. I had a couple little girls catching pickeral on tip ups along with a couple nice bass. They were so funny hanging out in the shanty, drinking hot cocoa, eating sandwiches. Then, a flag would go up and the yelling and fast walking trying to get to the hole. Then, making me take pictures to send to their moms, and facetiming with their moms and dads. Takes the years away when the youngsters are enjoying themselves.

I had the same tonight Chrisw. One perch and three crappies. Drilled a few holes , but the fish would not cooperate tonight. Nice to be on some good ice finally.

Finally got back on some safe ice this evening. It was fairly warm out so i didn't take my shanty. that was a mistake, as the wind was blowing on the hill. Fish were biting good and i got a nice batch of perch and crappies. Unfortunately, I was dumb enough to stay out long enough to get my hands cold enough that they were burning on the way home. The shanty will be going next time.

I actually made a new ice fishing friend on a new lake today. I was the only one out there about 3:00. I used a lake map to get near a drop off to try and find some crappies moving up for an evening bite. For the first half hour all I was getting was a bunch of 7-8 inch, skinny perch. About that time i hear someone coming through the crunchy snow, and he comes right at me. Instead of walking right on by when I greeted him, he stopped and bullshitted for a couple minutes, telling me he is after crappies too, and there is another shelf that he found about 20 feet from me. I asked if he was going to fish it and he said he didn't want to crowd me out. I told him to drill and fish away, and if he got on the crappies, i would come over and crowd him. Well, he gets a crappie right off the bat and tells me to get over there and grab a different hole. I proceed to start reeling them in almost as fast as I can get the bait down, while he has a full screen and hardly any bites.We compare baits, and it's easy to see that my setup is a lot smaller than his, but he doesn't have any jigs and plastic comparable. I dig in my jig box and give him a couple 3 mm jigs like I am using, and some spikes. He is instantly reeling them in right with me. It was an awesome hour and a half until we just flat ran out of light. As it was, we were using out fish finders to see our poles at the end. He kept 6 crappies about a foot long, and I kept none, and he was happy about that. I said i had a christmas dinner later, and didn't want to bother with the fish cleaning when i could be back there tomorrow. This is a perfect example why I like to hunt and fish socially so I have somebody else working with me instead of against me. Probably going to end up being one of my top days of fishing this winter.

I hunt a lot in 4F and 7M. I am one of the people that say the Amish have really taken a toll on the deer and fish populations. The law seems unable or incapable of doing anything about it. The farm i hunted my whole life, I don't even bother to hunt anymore because the deer just aren't there anymore. The neighbor that I shared information and sightings with has owned his land for 30+ years, and he is ready to just sell out and move. I have found other places to hunt, and I do see plenty of deer and bucks, but the quality I have not been able to find. I went to the Brookfield stateland late in the rifle season and put a couple people on nice 2 year old 8 points, which i can do almost every year because the drivers avoid the spot because of water and thick brush. Luckily, I know a good way in from my coonhunting days. Guys are getting some nice bucks on lands where they and the neighbors are working together. It just gets tougher every year for the hunters that don't have the money or the desire to pay to hunt. There is certainly a lot fewer hunters, and most of them sit. The deer find the safe places and stay there til dark once the pressure kicks up the opening weekend of rifle.

That is awesome! I have been in on a few big pranks, and I have been the victim a couple times. Believe me, they are remembered and brought up forever!!!

That is pretty sharp looking.

As soon as ice gets on my lakes, I am ice fishing. I do it every weekend and lots of times I fish for crappies at night after work. My wife hates most of my hobbies, but she likes to go out on warmer days to fish and grill up some fresh fillets on the ice. I also have one little girl that is 6 that is ready to go anytime i call, and she is always a joy to have around the shanty and loves to chase flags on the tip ups. From late March til October I go all over attending dirt modified races. I grew up around it just like hunting, and it has stuck with me my whole life.

I do agree with Big Indian that they are another big kitchen appliance. I ended up making a new cupboard with tall shelves for our air fryer, crock pots, George Foreman grill, electric griddle, and waffle iron. Man! Whatever happened to a stove, oven and BBQ grill?!!!

Our cooking is only for two or three people. We had a little trial and error, but now use it a lot for chicken, fish, and fries. A little investigating on the internet ended up helping us out a ton.

Any ice fishermen needing to stock up on ice fishing jigs, Widowmaker Lures is having a nice sale starting at midnight on Thursday night and going til midnight Friday night. Great prices and quality jigs. I placed a good sized order last year and caught a ton of fish, and the paint still looks new. You can find them on the web and on facebook. I think they are a family run business in the midwest. I know they are active on facebook, and put up lots of pictures from their customers.

I'm in the group of "Thanksgiving is the best holiday". What more could i ask for?! Hunting in the morning, home for a hot shower, eat a great meal with family and friends, and relax watching football and raising hell with the company. Hunting has to be cut short this year as I have to go pick up my wife's mother because she doesn't drive and my father in law died early in the Summer. It's a small price to pay to make sure traditions stay alive.

I was hunting on the border of 4F and 7M. I will be a big morning tomorrow because the bucks are in full chase mode and there is still some snow in the woods for visibility.

I agree with Daveboone. All the practice in the world does you little good if you can't apply it in the woods. A lot of bad shots are the result of thinking you have to shoot. Sometimes there just isn't a good shot, even if the deer is well in your limits. Plan ahead when you get in your stand. Take note of branches and saplings, check some trees for yardage, turn in your stand to see if you have a shot that way, look for obstructions that a deer may pass behind so you can draw, etc. It sucks to have a nice buck go through and never get a chance to shoot, but it happens to me a lot because I hunt in pretty thick areas by choice. When the bucks get chasing hard, you may have a few bucks charging through so fast that you don't even have a hope of getting a good shot on them. The next one may stop on a dime when you grunt at them. The only pressure is the pressure you put on yourself. Just relax as much as possible, and realize there may not be a shot, and if you don't spook the deer you may get another opportunity.

Tons of acorns and apples. I am in the Columbus, New Berlin and 4F in Edmeston. A lot of does and fawns with the young bucks getting antsy. No big bucks seen from stand yet, but a couple out to ears. No shortage of deer that's for sure.

That is about the neatest looking deer I have ever seen a picture of. I'd let her walk too just because i would enjoy seeing her.

Rachunter, no matter what, the first few times you set yourself up to climb in the woods, you are going to think it is impossible to do quickly and quietly. Hell, I have done it hundreds of times over the years, and I still feel like a bumbling fool the first time I set up every year. Take your time, practice in good light conditions, and don't give up. Climbers are great once you get used to them. Strap your harness to the tree as soon as you put your feet in. Yup, it is a pain to keep sliding it up, but it sure beats falling.

Nice picture. I have never seen a red fox up a tree. I knew they would eat apples, but had no idea they would climb to do it.