Uncle Nicky

I send smutty text messages to random women that I meet on Craigslist, helps pass the time.

Savage 99 in .358 most years, but I hate looking for & buying shells for it (don't reload). I bought this gun with my paper route money 40 years ago, and can't let go. Also have a Remington 710-.30-06 that sometimes gets the nod if I haven't killed anything with it in a while, I usually bring this gun to Texas or Wyoming. Hunting close to home (SE PA) I have a Mossberg 500 with a slug barrel. I joined a club in Virginia this year that does deer drives with dogs, that's buckshot only. Spent a few weekends at the range trying to find the best shotgun I own that throws buckshot, turns out to be my Remington 870, so that is what I will use there. I think I knocked a filling loose trying to find the best gun/choke/load combo, LOLOLOL.

I like to drink a big Red Bull on the way in, and just pee over the edge of the strand. If there's snow on the ground, I'll get a little jazzy and try writing my name. Works for me!

Basil starts to die in the garden, peppers start slowing down, and chrysanthemums start coming out of the ground. And it starts getting dark by 7:30. Sure signs that fall is about to start.

Really? How do you think this will play out in a somewhat crowded state like NY?

I killed one in Wyoming a few years ago. I wouldn't call it a hunt, it was at a cattle ranch that had some bison also. I was hunting antelope in the area, so figured I'd shoot one & fill up the freezer, the price was right. The meat was excellent, and I got a neat hide & set of horns to go with it.

Wild hog roast, mashed potatoes, garlic broccoli, and applesauce. Before and after. Heading up to Lake Ontario tomorrow, hate to leave Momma & the kiddies without something to eat, so I made a tray of stuffed peppers, they just have to put them in the oven at 350 for 1 3/4 hours. Weather looks good, and so do the fishing reports this year. Fingers crossed!

About 6 hours is all I can take sitting in the same spot. I can still remember a week I spent in Maine bear-hunting about 20 years ago, sat in the stand from sun up to sun down (was still the summer, about 15 hours/day), did this 6 days before a bear finally showed and I killed it. Told myself NEVER again. I do have a buddy I bow hunt with, he doesn't like breaking for lunch, and since it's his property and he usually drives, I'll get down around 11:00, sit down & eat my lunch, maybe take a snooze if it isn't too cold, and eventually work my way to another stand to finish out the day.

I'd let it go, at least for now. It's not about being weak or meek, it's about being the better person. It would probably be a good idea to introduce yourself to the neighbor, and try to get an idea where he's coming from, and assess his character. Being on good terms with the guy might be a big advantage to you, especially if you don't live in the area. I have neighbors that I let hunt on my property, provided I'm not hunting there that day, and they give me the same respect regarding their land. It's just deer hunting, not life & death issues. I also have a neighbor that takes the hard-nose approach, it's hurt him at least once that I know of, since he's made it very clear nobody is allowed to cross onto his land. He called me asking for permission to look for a deer that ran on my place, I asked him if he was now giving me permission to go onto his property; he wouldn't say yes, so I told him to pound sand.

I've killed a couple, I like it better than deer, but a little on the tough side. Cook it long & slow, in a stew or braise it. Or grind it up and make sure you cook all of the color out.

I agree with most of what Bowguy says about e-collar training, I used mine to cure my dog of running deer, I wouldn't say a word until she'd seen one and gave chase, then I'd give her a jolt...she'd be back at my side in seconds. She hasn't chased one in a while, I think she's broke, doesn't even seem interested when she sees one out the window. And most of the time all it takes is a beep to reel her back in when she's hunting (she ranges as far as 400 yards, which is what I want), but I do have a GPS unit on mine, mostly for my peace-of-mind. I don't see the harm in teaching the dog sit & stay, mine stays in the house all year long, it's amazing how many commands and words they can learn.

Remington 770, 30-06. I know, it's cheap, ugly, the action isn't smooth, and I had to mark "ON/OFF" on the safety, since there were no markings when I purchased it. I bought the gun for my son to use, he's since retired from hunting. He put it away wet in the gun case and ruined the blueing on the barrel. But, this is the most accurate gun I own, I've lost track of how many deer, antelope, and hogs I've dropped with this gun. It has never let me down.

I would really have to be starving to eat a coyote. Same goes for seagull.

I took out a home equity loan when I bought my camp. It hurts to pay the interest, but it does help some when I file my tax return, since I have enough deductions to itemize. If you can pay cash or work out a payment plan with the seller, that would be the best route to go.

Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline...$1,200-$5,000 sound ridiculous. Are you looking at first class?

I've seen homeless do this before, but never someone who could afford a car. Bizarre.

I don't really see the need to, I hunt the same parcels every year, I know where to put stands, the deer are always in the same areas. I don't put out cameras either, I'm not targeting any specific deer, I'll shoot the first legal one that walks by.

I never shot an elk, I've seen them both in PA and out west. Actually, the turn-off for me is that if I flew, I'd be limited to how much meat I'd be bringing home. Plus I don't have room in the house for an elk mount if I did kill one. Colorado would be my first pick, some areas are easy to draw tags, and if you want to pony up a little extra, they have a Ranching for Wildlife program where you can hunt free-range elk outside of the regular seasons, no draw required. Check out Greg Merriam, he offers a lot of discounted hunts, some guided, some DIY.

Yes, that's a mulberry, they are trees, not bushes. I planted one at my house a few years ago, but it never took. The fruit is better tasting than any berry I know of.

Never hunted with one, but I did watch a guy shoot a couple antelope with a .25-06, killed them just as dead as my 30-06 did. It's got more oomph than a .243, so I'd say it's more than adequate.

I swear, I was NOT drinking when I was sitting in the tent blind all day!!!

Call the liquor store, have them deliver a couple cases of suds, 1/2 gallon of gin, and a couple quarts of tonic water. Then go on the internet, and pull up one of those escort services, have them send over an Oriental or Brazilian babe or two, even better if you can put this all on the company credit card, I think they bill discreetly. I envy you sir!!!

Gonna try something different tonight, grass-fed ribeye steak, topped with broccoli rabe, mushrooms, green onions and mozzarella cheese. Along with corn on the cob, green beans, and fresh pineapple. Pictures to follow.

Just my $.02 on the subject, but what I found is the best time to hunt Rios/Merriams is right about the time our season begins (late April/early May), by that time they are just starting to break up and start mating and scrapping. I've found that big flocks are much easier to find than individual birds, there is very little cover out there, and they spend most of the day out in the open and often gobble for no apparent reason at all, but getting in front of them can be the challenge. Mid-April can mean snow still in Nebraska, and if you hunt late May, most of the breeding is done and gobblers can be finicky (just like our birds that time of year). But every year is different, just like here, things can be a few weeks ahead of schedule or behind schedule, depending on how warm of a spring it has been. Hunting these birds, at least on the open plains, is a little different than hunting Easterns that tend to stay in the woods most of the day, you definitely need a good pair of binoculars and be prepared to work the terrain to get in front of them. They gobble a lot, but depend more on eyesight that hearing, they don't always seem to respond to calling. I know it's a controversial topic, but waving a gobbler fan (I like to paint a red circle at the top of them) from a distance probably works better than coaxing them in with hen calls. I have never hunted Easterns in Kansas, Kentucky, or Missouri, that is the next road trip I'm planning on making some time in the future. Sorry for hijacking the thread, carry on.