Uncle Nicky

A full fledged mule kick is USUALLY a heart shot.

I've owned 3 or 4 over the years. Pros-most set up fairly quickly, are fairly easy to drag in and out of the woods, and definitely keep you out of the rain and restrict movement. Cons- camo pattern never really blends into surroundings, not really "portable" (meaning I wouldn't want to be lugging one around all day), not especially durable, and I don't think they've perfected the stakes/joints that bend in and out, mine seem to fall apart after a couple seasons, and I DON'T leave them out longer than a few days at a time. Granted, I've never bouught a high-end blind, but I'm a little hesitant to, given the fact that I've never had one hold up longer than 3 years.

First 5 or 6, my legs were shaking. These days, my first thought is "Now ya did it, gotta gut that thing, drag it out somewhere an ATV or truck can get it out, gotta take pics and put 'em on Facebook, 4-5 hours butchering, a night or two in the garage making jerky and sausage...."

Good deal!!!!

Philadelphia suburbs buck, killed him last week in the same clothes I have on in the picture. WEIRD looking rack!

I saw a lot of odd things when I used to butcher deer professionally. I remember once I was skinning a deer, I was in a hurry, not paying a whole lot of attention. I noticed a LOT of fresh looking blood all over the floor where I was working, it took me a realize that it was MY blood, I had sliced my finger open on a broadhead that was stuck in a deer's backbone (deer was killed during PA rifle season). Yes, they are incredibly tough animals.

Mostly to feed my ego, LOL. I'll eat venison, but it's certainly not my first choice when dinner time rolls around. I'll start shooting smaller deer as the season wears on and I start getting desperate to fill tags.

I think you can still find a moose hunt in Newfoundland for under $5k, and you don't need to go on a "party" system like they do in Quebec & Ontario.

Good answer Pygmy! Any answer I give will be biased, since I run a home-based business along with a regular job to pay for hunting & fishing excursions. It's all dependent, if I had a burning desire to kill a Dall sheep, go to Africa, or a trophy elk in Utah, I'd find a way to come up with the $10k, but I don't. I've spent as much as $5k a few years ago to go to Newfoundland, but that's about as high as I'd ever be willing to go. I prefer to take a couple smaller trips a year (Georgia for hogs, anywhere for turkeys, Canada fly-in fishing, Texas for a deer hunt, etc) than blow it all on a 1-week hunt.

You opened up a can of worms with this question....I don't care what anyone else does, but I personally won't bowhunt in the rain, or even hunt an afternoon when rain is in the forecast overnight. Yes, I know deer move a lot before a storm, but too chancy for me, I'd rather come back on a day when tracking conditions are better.

I tried it before, it was OK, but I don't care that much for organ meat, too bloody tasting for my likes, and the family feels the same way. I save the hearts & livers for the dogs, mix it in with their kibble, they tear it up!!

Thanks. We tried throwing rocks and sticks at the bird, but it wouldn't budge. I was all for using a chainsaw, but my buddy didn't want to ruin the farmer's tree, and I don't blame him. It wasn't a long walk in with the ladder, thank goodness!!

Doubled up with a buddy in central NY Saturday. Hunted with my dog Maizy, she did great again, no problem finding birds and getting them up in the air. My buddy's bird died 25 feet up in a tree, we had to go back with a ladder to get it out, it was the bird's final F U moment, LOLOL. Maizy just gets better and better each time we hunt, she's sitting good with me and I don't have to bring her back to the truck after she breaks birds. Looking forward to the PA, NJ, and VA fall seasons next!!

Very nice!!

Goood luck Pygmy!

I'm good friends with the president of AWTHDA. Here is a link to their website, for anyone who is interested in learning more or joining.http://www.turkeydog.org/aboutus.html

Usually a double barreled shotgun with #4 shot.

Not a Brittany, she's a dropper, generic name for a pointer/setter/hound mix, bred specifically for hunting turkeys; Maizy favors her sire Stonewall Jackson, who is mostly English pointer. There's a network of guys in Virginia that breed these dogs, some of the lines go back 100 years. Attached is a picture of my buddy's dog Lucky, she's from the same line of dogs (Maizy's aunt), she looks to be more Gordon setter.

I'm speaking in generalities, but spring birds travel less during a day in the spring than in the fall season. They're driven by mating in the spring, and food in the fall, especially once it gets colder. Scouting a gobbler is fairly simple in the spring, get up early, listen for the general location where they roost and gobble, and set up; if that fails, find the open areas where they strut and put out decoys, much simpler looking for birds that are calling loudly to one another (spring) than looking for birds that are on the move most of the day mostly quiet (fall).

Scouting is your best option, even if you have to do it from the car. I don't know where you are hunting, but if there is agriculture, glass freshly cut soybean, corn, or alfalfa fields, especially during a rainstorm, early morning, or late afternoon, the birds shouldn't be too far into the woods if you see them near an ag field. If they're not coming to the fields, look for acorns or beech nuts in the woods. A dog is a huge help in scattering them, if all works well, they can be called back with hen yelps or kee-kees (or gobbler yelps if you scatter male birds). Don't let anyone tell you differently, targeting fall birds is much more difficult than hunting turkeys in the spring. Good luck!

First bird of the 2016 fall season, I traveled to hunt with a buddy and his dogs in Wisconsin. Second bird for my dropper Maizy, she's picking it up quick and isn't even 2. Looking forward to the NY opener this Saturday.

Sorry Rob, I posted a picture that's probably inappropriate for this forum. I was able to delete the photo, but can't delete your quote.

Bow hunting opens tomorrow guys & girls. Be safe out there!!

They have a frequent fliers club? Go get 'em killer!!!

Not today, not in the mood.....I'll be waiting for your post next week where you ask for the number of Deer Search. Good luck this season.