catskillkid

Unit 61 is a great unit. Have you hired an outfitter or are you going to do a DIY?

I have collected old bottles that I have found in the woods for over 40 years. Now have quite a collection and have them displayed. The prior owner of the land that I have now had shown me where up on my hill there was an old shack that is pretty much rotten down to the ground now. He said the owner before him told him it was used to house a still to refine potent potables during the prohibition days. I found a beautiful whiskey bottle 10 yards from it 2 years later. My wife thinks I'm nuts bringing home the old bottles, but it is history to me.

I was in the Gander Mountain in Middletown last month. I could not find a person on the sales floor to help me with clothing and the dressing rooms were locked with no body around to open for me. I went to the sales person in the front of the store and still no help. That was the last time I will ever step foot in one of their stores. The shelves were only half full and it looked like a ghost town with hardly anyone shopping. I guess they heard Cabelas is coming to Woodbury to kick their butt.

Hardly any gobbles this season where I hunt in Delaware County. I woke up early today and sat on the front porch, now the birds are gobbling their heads off. Season closed

I report my harvests on-line. Never had a problem

My friend's place is on the Afton / Colesville border. He also said the turkey hunting is very difficult this year in his area.

I knew a few bearded hens in my younger years. Always passed on them

Cool pics

A heck of a bird, congrats!

My bird shot in 4O Sunday morning, A Mother's Day kind of birdNY, 2014, 9 5-8 & 1 1-8.bmpNY, 2014, 9 5-8 & 1 1-8.bmp

Finaly shot a bird this morning, 9 5/8" paint brush with 1 1/8 spurs" He was the only bird I have heard in 4 days of hunting Delaware County. Have not even seen or heard jakes. DEC needs to investigate whats going on in my area.

Great bird, congrats

Quaker Boy old boss hen mouth call and a variety of slates to work them when they get close for lights out.

I hunted 4O Saturday and Sunday. Weather was terrible, low pressure system shut the birds down. I saw a flock of hens with no toms. I don't think the flocks even broke up yet here. Very late start to the season. Not one gobble was heard on roost or during the day..

I wish I had a yute to take. So I'm going to Ohio to hunt Good Luck!

When i bought my place over 14 years ago, I made it a point to meet every adjacent landowner and shake his hand. There are 7 of them since all of the parcels in my area are very large. Most were floored that someone would actualy take the time to indroduce themselves and were extremely please that I had done so. They are mostly dairy farmers and do not hunt. 3 of them told me it was ok to hunt their place without even asking them, and said they don't want anyone else on their land but me. I now post their lands and keep people out at the landowners request. I now have over 450 acres to hunt with no competition from others. Most people are great as long as you take the time and effort. I now skid firewood logs for them to their home whem I'm doing TSI. I would do anything for them. I did have trouble with one tresspaser who thought he knew more than others. The county sheriff met me at the guys house to put a stop to it. Have not seen him since.

Great buck! Too bad it ended like that

I took my test about 40 years ago in the basement of a bar with dirt floors. The instructors gave us all the answers to the test then had us shoot a couple of rounds in the back yard as all the shloshed drinkers watched from the inside of the tavern above. I remember it like it was yesterday

I agree that habitat plays a huge role in turkey numbers, however my area has been greatly improved due to my TSI program. Neighboring farms have lots of low growing brush and over-grown field and powerline edges. It should be and is turkey habitat heaven. My place has 8 different food plots planted in clover and winter rye. Turkey numbers are way down in my area from last year. I'm thinking G-Man is correct, it was a very long and cold winter.

I have not seen nearly as many turkeys this spring compared to recent years in my area in the Catskills. I know the coyote population is out of control. Also, this past winter was extremly cold too, temps were down to -20 degrees many nights. I've heard that extreme cold is deadly for turkeys. Anyone else experiencing the same as me? I hope our turkey population did not crash due to the bad winter!

Yeah Baby!

dmandoes, I have been applying for about 20 years in Colorado for elk and about 6 years for mule deer. The other states have just been about 6 years. Most of the states refund most of your $ if you just apply for the pp. I will be hunting eastern Colorado in 2015 for mule deer as it requires at least 6 pps in the unit that I want to hunt. I will cash in my points for Colorado elk in 2016 in one of the top trophy units. Unfortunalty most of the premier areas require an additional point to hunt every year because so many hunters need to play the same game. It wouldn't be wise to start applying for the pps if you are over a certain age, you will not live long enough to use them. One of my buddies has over 20 pps in many of the western states for sheep and he still has not drawn a tag! I don't think he is healthy enough now at his age to climb the mountains where they live.

We had the same issue on land that we hunted in PA. It was very hard to cross the stream when the water was high after a storm. The solution was to string a cable from a large tree on one side to a tree on the other side and pulled it tight and clamped with fish clamps. Attached a pully and bosun chair. Worked great!

I've been applying for pps for most of the states for many years. Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas and Maine. Sheep, mule deer,elk & moose. Unfortunatly this is what it takes to hunt trophy areas any more. Don't let my wife find out, she would divorce me if she knew how much $ it costs every year.

Go in late April or early May, you can turkey hunt in morning and scout in afernoon We lease 1,500 acres in nearby Coshocton County, turkey hunting is unbelievable