Uncle Nicky

If you lined the crosshairs up on the running deer like in the green sign, you'd probably shoot it's tail off, LOL.

I DID buy land in western NY about 10 years ago, mainly because I wanted to have a camp in a state where I could hunt on Sunday, and land was a lot cheaper in NY than in my own state. I won't lie, like many things there are pros & cons. 30k can probably get you 30 acres still in NY if you look hard enough, but might be tough finding anything right now that includes gas & mineral rights. I did the food plot thing for a couple years, but it became more trouble than it was worth. Pros- My own property that I can manage the way I want. Not a whole lot of planning if I want to hunt, as opposed to going on a guided hunt. The Marcellus shale boom has driven values up in the area. Private land with a good deer & turkey population. Could be a great retirement location some day. I can probably log it again in another 10 years. I have equity in the land, so I can recoup my investment some day (and maybe a profit) if I ever decide to sell. The stock market sucks, I'd rather put my hard-earned into land than give it to a Wall-Street shyster. Cons- 300 miles each way, and gas is $4/gallon. Property tax payments are much higher than they are in PA. Have to rely on neighbors & friends in the area to keep an eye on things when I'm away.Ongoing fued with new neighbor (from PA, of course, LOL) over property lines. NY non-resident Supersportsman license almost $300.Did I mention property taxes? Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I switched over about 5 years ago when it came to my area, from Comcast. I like Verizon a lot more, it's a little hard getting the whole thing set up, but once I was up & running, very few calls to customer service. They were throwing in cheap TVs as an incentive back when I switched over. Comcast was a nightmare.

Usually the woods, unless I know a bird's been hitting a field at a certain time. If it's raining, probably a field in a tent blind.

Only if the dog used in the recipe was raised here in the US, on dog food produced here in the US.

If nobody bitched, and just rolled over and accepted the screwing, nothing would ever change. I for one would rather fight back, even if it's a small gesture. I buy American every chance I get, like the old adage, you DO get what you pay for.

It's a small part, but here's a website that lists companies that manufacture here in the USA. The website doesn't seem to have a left or right slant, just informational. Looks like I was too slow, DTG3k beat me to it. http://americansworking.com/index.html

You're 100% correct, I try to buy American whenever possible. I'm tired of buying cheap crap from China, lose/lose for both the country and the consumer.

There's a turkey forum called Old Gobbler, that one is the worst.

Looks like a first class operation, you should do well.

Goose keilbasi, sauekraut, & mashed potatoes tonight.

Thanks Pygmy. It's a real fun hunt, and can be as demanding or as easy as you want it to be, we've taken 10-year-old kids with us & they've filled their tags. The most important thing I would suggest to anyone who tries this hunt is to practice long-range shooting, the average shot is 150-200 yards. Pretty tough to sneak in on them any closer, their eyesight is incredible, they will make a turkey seem like Mr. Magoo.

Agreed, a few days in ice water will get the sagey taste out of the meat.

Growalot- I've done trhis hunt 4 times before, but never with this outfitter. Here's his website: http://thunderridgeoutfitter.com/antelope.htm I've talked to him, seems like a heck of a nice guy. I don't know if you've ever hunted antelope in Wyoming, they're everywhere. The toughest part is trying to find private access and lodging this late in the game.

If we get more than 2 hunters, the camp is $800/ week/per person, more than 2, $700, more than 6, $600. License- guaranteed draw around $500, take a chance & draw, around $300. Doe tags are $36, outfitter will let us shoot does. Transportation and meals- if 2 people split the drive, and gas is $4, about $700. So, could be as low as $1,650, if you buy 1 doe tag. as much as $2000. Not a drop in the bucket, but still pretty resonable for a full week of hunting out west. The camp is rustic, but comfortable- wall tents & propane heaters.

I'm heading out to Wyoming (near Casper) this October 2-7 for antelope. I found an outfitter that's going to set up a drop camp on private land, so trespass fees are included. Right now, it's just me, the other guys who wanted to go dropped out. Could cost anywhere from $600-800 for 6 days, depending on how many guys go, we can butcher all kills there, only other expense would be licenses, food & drinks. We could possibly carpool and keep the costs down even more. Let me know if you're interested, the last date to apply for tags is March 15.

I'd get a Dodge, I've had good luck with them. A Dakota's a little larger than a Silverado, and cheaper as well.

Join the NRA, $35 insurance that you keep your guns for another year. And you get a nifty magazine subscription to boot!

Started washing dishes & working fast food as a teenager, decided to make a career out of it. Went to school in Hyde Park, NY, worked as a chef for 10 years. Along came Mrs Wonderful & a couple kids, made a career change or two, now I'm a 9-5er in an office. I still fix dinner every night, butcher deer for select friends, and cater an occasional party.

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have used the word "always". Last time I was there, I wasn't too busy studying the menu, I was more worried about getting out of there before it got dark. Could they be doing business in a shadier neighborhood?

I agree, it was a good read.

it;s a trademarked dish, originated at Nick Tahou's. It always has baked beans, macaroni salad, and fried potatoes, and is topped with a thin, beanless chili type sauce (I use venison, of course). The meat is optional with this, can be a hamburger or fried fish filet, but I think the original recipe was with red & white hot sausages. http://rocwiki.org/Garbage_Plates

Last night was enchiladas, made with venison. Tonight will be a Rochester, NY favorite...Garbage Plate, I'm using red & white hot sausages.

I've hunted state land lots of times, the biggest hurdle is trying to figure out if the woods hold birds. IMO, best bet is to ask around, and do LOTS of scouting. If you see birds in surrounding fields, good chance they're spending a portion of their days in the nearby wood lots. Some pre-dawn trips in the woods before the season opens listening for gobbles should give you a clue as to whether to hunt the woods.

This story might have been believable, until you got to the part where you engaged the poachers in hand-to-hand combat, but were somehow unable to read their license plate numbers...especially since NY requires 2 license plates on each vehicle....