catskillkid

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.

Minus 30 sitting in a lock on tree stand from before sunup to after sun down in Saskatchewan. I'm here to tell everyone that Heater Body Suits are awesome. You know it's cold when your yellow bottle freezes in under a minute after adding to it.

Arriving a few days early is a good idea. You can be in the best shape of your life at our elevation in New York and feel lousy when you start hunting those elevations in NM. Your body needs to acclimate to the higher altitude. I've hunted up to 11 k many times for elk and mountain goats. Just take your time and don't overdue it the first couple of days and you will do just fine. Don't let your guide push you too hard early in the hunt. Unfortunately you will be able to run up and down those mountains when the hunt is over and you're sitting in the jet on your way home. Good luck, post pictures

Hot tub, Hooch & Hunting. What a country!

My Dad always said.....he who argues with a fool is a fool himself.

My guess it is last year's rub also. I've never seen porcupines chew on striped maple before, however bucks love to rub on them.

Yeah, I love the humpback too. I'm actually thinking of buying one the new and improved models Browning recently came out with. Want to return to my youth and get back into duck and goose hunting again.

I guess I came from the same light bulb pack

Of course not

I have never been scoped but have a similar story. I broke up a flock of turkeys while hunting one fall a few years back. After sitting next to a tree for 30 minutes, I began calling them to return to the area. I had a lone hen sneak back and she was staring at me through the tall grass from 30 yards away. Because she was over my rear right side and I am right handed, I picked up my Browning humpback with my right hand and looked down the barrel holding the gun with one hand as you would shoot a pistol. I sent a wad of 3" #4 copper plate pellets on its way. I woke up a few minutes later looking up into the clear blue sky. The gun must have jumped out of my hand and the stock butt hit me in the chin. Felt like i went a round with Mike Tyson. Ahhh the memories. Worst part was that I missed the bird.

In New Jersey, you are required to bury the whole deer and not take any of the meat or antlers if you shoot it using a farmers depredation permit. Permits are only for removal of nuisance deer because of crop damage, not for harvesting meat or trophy antlers.

Four of us would hunt the Maine North Woods for deer every year. We would rent the same cabin and normally fly into and land on a lake that the cabin was built on. One year in an effort to save a few dollars, we decided to try and drive in as close to the cabin as possible and then walk in with our gear and supplies. Well there turned out to be over a foot of snow in the bush and we could not get any closer than one mile from the cabin with the trucks on the non-maintained logging road. One of the guys said he would take a shortcut through the woods and beat everyone to the cabin. He set off with his arms loaded with bags and food. After two trips back and forth from the truck to the cabin the rest of us realized that we had not seen Bob since he started on his shortcut. I took up his track in the snow and found him an hour later sitting on a log with his coat off, sweating profusely, munching on a candy bar and talking to a snow shoe hare that had sat in the down next to him. I walked up behind him and said, "Bob, what's going on?" I thought he was going to kiss me and said that he was lost as tears were flowing down his cheeks. I asked why he just didn't follow his tracks back to the truck. He said he never thought of that! I've never been truly lost in the woods. I guess panic does strange things to a man. That's a true story

Now go out and enjoy yourself. Congrats

I just reached the grand old age of 60 myself. Still feel young in mind and body. But still can't believe 60 years went by that fast. One secret is to have a mix of friends that are older and younger than yourself. The younger ones keep you fit by trying to keep up and the older keep you from over doing it. I just booked a sheep and grizzly hunt in the Yukon for 2019, so mind & body are still telling me to go for it!

I wonder if the 3 states that he can still hunt have sheep?

No stacked brush, but there happens to be 2 old shirts drenched in perfume hanging in trees on my side of the line now. Hummm, wonder how they got there.

Neighbor setting 2 ladderstands directly on the property line overlooking a heavy deer run on my land. Also cutting shooting lanes onto my land. But I am sure he has no intention of shooting over the line.

Any show with Michael Hanback and Bob Foulkrod. When I saw Bob shoot his mountain goat then sit down and cry on camera, he earned much respect from me. Been there and done that, I know what he went through.

No, he was never a NY resident and has no lifetime license.

I hunt in 4O in the Catskills. No shortage of deer here. I received my landowner dmp as usual. However, my friend who is a non-resident received one also. the state website says that there is no chance of a non-resident getting one, this has been the case for years now. So how did he get it? Weird things are happening

I would vote to purchase the land. In my case, I purchased a large parcel of land with a neglected house that needed a lot of work about 17 years ago. The prior owner held the mortgage at a very attractive interest rate and was paid off in a few years. The property is now worth over double what I paid for it and timber harvests now make it a money making operation. Myself & family truly enjoy it every weekend. The hunting is great with lots of deer & turkeys taken. It's also nice to know that another hunter will not be setting up next to me or a landowner terminating the lease. We have never second guessed our decision to buy. As I opened with, I would vote to purchase.

Lots of them in my area of Delaware County

McDowell & Walker in Afton is a great resource also. The have lots of food plot seed varieties, do soil tests and will apply lime for you as well. I would go with turnips this time of the year. They should really grow great in virgin soil as long as you can turn it over a little.