Uncle Nicky

Apparently, it's "gua-gua-gua". https://barkpost.com/discover/woof-other-languages/

We had tons of them where I grew up (SE PA). Sadly, they are all gone now, unless you want to hunt stocked birds. My father always had a dog of some kind or another, a bird dog or beagle. Some days were better than others, but most Saturdays in the fall we'd come home with something (woodcock, pheasants, rabbits, squirrels). But those days are just past history now. We hunted with cheap double barrels he'd buy at an estate or yard sale, most were "skeet" or "cylinder" choked, until he splurged & bought himself an 1100. When we DID hunt without a dog, it seemed like nothing would flush until we got to the end of the field, then multiple birds would flush at the tail end of the field, usually headed toward the woods. Memories..... Your gun, your license, your hunt...use what makes you happy as long as it's ethical & legal.

Tough, tough critters. Wise choice not using the crossbow. Congratulations!

Not a NY trip, but spent yesterday on the Delaware Bay & NJ tidal marshes. 3 guys, over 150 white perch boated, about 50 of the larger ones kept. First weakfish I've caught in probably 30 years; couldn't have asked for nicer weather!

Wild hog & shrimp curry, over bismati rice. JUST the right amount of heat.

I have a buddy that always says "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission".

No, you didn't actually "ruin" anything, but an inedible crust on the outside of the meat muscles is one of the downsides to dry-aging any kind of meat. I don't have a ton of experience dry-aging venison but have worked with dry-aged beef a lot in the past. I'm sure I'll get arguments, but dry-aging venison doesn't seem worth the effort: yield if you ask me, plus the meat will develop a stronger "deer" taste the longer it ages (not a fan). I usually let a quartered deer sit in the frig a few days covered with freezer paper before finishing for the freezer.

I lost some arrows walking with the arrows clipped on the crossbow walking in the brush, & sometimes the "recoil" would cause the arrows to fall out (while I was up a tree). It was a Barnett, so that may have had something to do with it. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

I never liked the quiver that came with my first crossbow, so I went with one of these. I still have the original one I bought, it's about 15 years old. https://www.cabelas.com/product/WESTERN-RECREATION-WRANGLER-QUIVER/3067383.uts?productVariantId=6096815&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=01379939&rid=20&ds_rl=1246591&ds_rl=1247873&ds_rl=1247876&ds_rl=1252079&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoZaVyouS5QIVkJ6fCh0sCQLZEAQYASABEgLcJPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They eat a lot of goat in India, which tastes like deer to me (along with eating chicken & tons of vegetables). I sometimes make Indian dishes out of deer meat (tandoori, tiki masala, curry, etc). I really enjoy the taste, but the house smells like curry for a few days after.

Great idea, if there isn't one soon I will start one & feature this fine specimen.

Actually, that's what the other driver did and you see the result. I was going slow enough & saw it coming and swerved slightly to avoid it; unless they were playing on their phone they should have seen it dancing in the road & me coming to an almost stop, the speed limit in that stretch is 25 MPH. I know it's only a squirrel, but it sucks that it was nursing & had to go like that.

But not everyone does I guess. I watched an SUV run this one over this morning on my way to work. Since I was less than a mile from home, I turned around, picked it up & brought it home for a quick skin/gut/rinse/freeze. Now I just need 5 or 6 more for a decent pot of stew. Late for work (again).

Axis deer steak, perfect rare +. And the last of the crab claws. Friday night dinner on a Wednesday!

Found a great place with super fresh crabs dirt cheap, so I cheated & bought 1/2 a bushel. Great day for a drive in the country and an outside crabfest!

No, worth about $8.00 IMHO.

Sure. I never measure but here goes: First, peel 2 eggplant, slice in 1/2" thick rounds. Brush lightly with olive oil. season w salt & pepper. Place on a baking sheet, bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until slightly wilted. Meanwhile, brown off 1 lb ground lamb (or deer or ground beef), add 1/2 a diced onion, 3 seeded & chopped large tomatoes, chopped garlic, paprika, a little cinnamon, salt, & pepper. Cook down to a fairly thick sauce consistency, then add some currants, chopped mint, & chopped oregano, and a couple Tbsp of honey. Separately, make a cream (bechamel) sauce with 2 cups of milk, medium consistency. Let cool slightly, add 2 egg yolks & 5-6 oz of goat cheese, but don't heat the sauce back up. To assemble: In a 9" X 9" baking pan or casserole dish, add a layer of the meat sauce, a layer of grilled eggplant, meat sauce, eggplant, and rest of the meat sauce. Top with the white cheese sauce, sprinkle with parmesan, cover, bake 45 minutes @ 350, remove cover & bake 30 minutes more. Casserole should be brown on top & bubbly. Bon apetit!

I worked for Greeks before. They also used to always say "Go f*ck a duck".

Moussaka made with deer meat. Looks sloppy but tastes great!

Same here, I have some spots I know would be good on a river near me, I could walk there. The problem is it would be pass shooting over floating decoys, and I'd either need a dog or motorboat to go out after any I knock down...I just don't care that much to put out the effort. I DO hear guys shooting at them (and ducks) sometimes when I'm close by squirrel or deer hunting, but they are in camo-ed boats and I'm pretty sure they have dogs as well.

I've been in on a few triple-digit snow goose days, and a lot of days where we just watched them fly overhead & never come in close. Watching an aerial vortex of hundreds of snow geese swarming is a memory I will never forget. Having a good stiff wind is the key to decoying snow geese, an e-caller helps a lot also.

I've shot (and "shot at") my share. It's often a feast or famine endeavor, especially if you are hunting fields. This time of year if you can find a corn field that's been partly cut for sileage, you have a pretty good chance of drawing them in. If you have access to a pond where they roost or visit you have a good chance on getting some shooting in, but a lot of guys frown on roost hunting. I'd rather hunt residents now than migratory birds in the winter, laying in a blind on the frozen ground waiting for birds to come in doesn't work for me anymore. Their meat is very dark (because they fly so much), a little bloody tasting, like most I'd rather make chili or jerky or sausage out of it. I actually prefer the small legs than the breasts, but they are some work to carve out. Where I live it's getting to be where almost all farm fields are leased for goose hunting, pretty much pay-to-play now, IMO opinion the popularity of Duck Dynasty caused that.

I don't think anybody doubts the PA chart regarding body size; it's the meat yield portion of the chart that needs re-vamping.

Years ago I went to Newfoundland to hunt moose. I watched the guides bone out moose in the woods, and a series of light bulbs went on in my foggy head. These days if I kill a deer in deep, it's coming out in pieces. If I can get to it with an ATV or truck, I'm pulling it out with a rope. I like to think I've learned to work smart rather than hard. If I do need to get one in the back of the truck, I'll look for help. But the plywood idea looks good.

Jaws