catskillkid

Enjoyed 20 below temps for 4 days in a lock on stand to finally take this 300 lb Saskatchewan buck

Western Catskills, between Walton & Sidney

I spent the weekend at our Catkills hideaway. Birds were gobbling their heads off this morning. Should be a great upcoming season.

I had a chainsaw running in my hands when my daughter's fiance was trying to ask me for permission to marry her. He now has fear if chainsaws. Turned out to be a good guy though.

The odd thing was I didn't feel them stinging me after around the 10th sting. I guess that was my body's defense mechanism working.

A chainsaw is like a dinner bell for deer. Bring a saw with you and let it run for a few minutes when sitting on stand. Sit it down and wait for deer to show up. I can't count how many times deer come by when doing TSI

I was clearing brush for a new food plot with my backhoe a few years ago. There was a ground nest under a bush I was pushing away. The swarm came into the cab and started attacking! I ran to my nearby quad and raced to the house 1/4 mile away. That swarm chased me right into the house. I stopped counting after 60 stings on every part of my body imaginable. Especially my scalp. I sat down waiting for some kind of reaction, but had none. That might have killed someone who was allergic to bee stings. Got lucky I guess. Be careful out there

Ditto on winter rye. Spread the seed then maybe pull something behind your atv to cover the seed. That stuff will grow on a concrete sidewalk

I had a work appointment at Newark Airport on that 9/11 morning. I heard about the first tower getting hit on the truck radio. The airport was shut down when I arrived. I helplessly watched the towers burn from across the river. My next door neighbor's older son, Vince Boland and a young man that I coached in little league football Christian D'Simone perished on that day. A day no one will forget.

I'm using hang on stands at 61 yrs old. I can still compete with a squirrel in a tree climbing contest. Using a full body harness is a must though. Hang ons are more versatile and deer don't seem to look up a tree for me at 25'. Ladder stands do have their uses, especially when sitting with a young hunter.

Thanks for replies everyone. I does seem that the Catskills has a serious problem with coyotes. I hear a couple of packs, sometimes 3 packs yipping from different directions every evening. I've seen a sow bear with a couple of cubs and a lone boar walking my land this spring also. Hopefully we can get this under control this year. There is also lots of bobcat sign around, will they take down a fawn ? I see a couple every year along with fishers.

I've have not seen a fawn in my area of Delaware County since late June. There were 20 does in a field at dusk near me on Saturday evening and not one of them had a fawn with them. I guess the yotees and bears are well fed this summer. Any other thoughts about their where abouts ?

Bear eating the berries

You say that it is BS that you can not get permission to hunt on someone else land. Will you allow a stranger to hunt your future land ?

This did not happen at the boat ramp, but out on Greenwood Lake. I was fishing from my boat when I noticed 4 people frantically waving at me using wierd hand motions from another boat. I motored over to them to see if they needed help. They tried talking to me but I couldn't understand them. I thought they were from another country and speaking a different language. After a few minutes I realized they were all deaf and we're using hand sign language trying to tell me they ran out of gas. I towed them back to a marina to fuel up. Was a day to remember.

Look at the SKB cases. I've used my double rifle case for at least 12 years now and have flown at least twice per year with them. They still look and function like new. I would highly recommend them.

Thought they like eagle wings

I'm not sure where your land is located. I've use McDowell & Walker in Afton. They will come to your land and spread lime as per the amounts needed. Very friendly people and reasonable cost. Making one phone call sure beats shoveling and spreading lime all weekend.

When I first read your reply quickly, I thought you were suggesting that a manufacturer produce an over / under crossbow. Now that would be awesome to use. Maybe I should patent a design. I'm sure that would make the traditionalists go crazy too.

Poachers are the lowest form of life. I would suggest adding a new topic on this forum with convicted poacher's names published for all to see, just as newspapers do. This would be public information from the courts and the forum would not be held legally responsible for libel or slander.

Everyone has the right to Public Land. You paid for it through your tax dollars. I had the same issue when duck hunting a few years ago. I got to my spot on Public Land an hour before sunrise. Another hunter came along 30 minutes later and told me that I had to leave and that he was hunting there. He also let me know that he was an off duty police officer in that town. I told him that his occupation did not give him any additional rights than me and that he was trying to intimidate me into moving to another area. "voices getting extremely loud" I also asked for his badge # and that I was going to have a talk with his chief. He turned around and left. The morning went well after shooting many ducks

I'm sure your dad is reading your story now and is extremely proud of you. Sorry for your loss

I'm glad to hear that you are doing better. You still have many hunting seasons to enjoy.

I recently calculated all the costs to plant my food plots. Considering the tractor, implements, chainsaw, dozer, barn, lime, fertilizer, seed and land purchase, I must be out of my mind. I'm thinking of going back to basics and hunt as I did when I was younger. I also think that I shot just as many deer every year. This food plot thing is getting out of hand! Although it is nice to sit back and look at the fruits of your labor and watch the deer and turkeys benefiting from all the hard work. Has anyone ever added up the costs of your plots?

I had the same issue this year in my turnip plot. The seeds germinated about a month ago then we had all of that heavy rain. Two weeks later there was hardly a sprout to be found. I replanted this past weekend with winter wheat and a splash of turnips. Hope this turns out well. My other plots are doing fine though, winter oats, rye and clover. I guess turnips will not tolerate wet soils.