Daveboone

This time of year, get out early. The boat traffic spooks them deeper. I love fishing the St. L., but have never caught a northern on a Dardevil. I usually put a Mepps#5 spinner (gold or silver ) on and cast it all day, and if they are biting...they will bite. Work the deeper edges of weeds near deep water. As has been mentioned, hook a big minnow or small perch through the back and suspend just above the bottome in a weed pocket with a bobber on top. When the bobber travels, let it go. When the pike stops, he his turning the bait to swallow. When he moves the 2nd time, set the hook. The lake of the isles can be good in the deeper sections. If you arent catching weeds, you wont catch a pike.

I have long had my eye out for a similar vintage 336 in 30-30. At one time of course they were almost a dime a dozen. Now....I know where a few are, sitting back and waiting to pounce! I have a 1961 Winchester 94 which just feels...perfect in the woods, and is lighter, but I cant (wont ) put a scope on it. The 336 will allow me to (just a low power 1.5-2.5 power) .

I inquired with our pistol permit office when i was there a year or two ago. Legal long arms only need to have the security check done (I forget what it is called) at time of purchase, same as is done when buying any firearm at a gun shop. Usually this has to be done at a FFL, paying their fee, usually 25.00 The firearm does NOT have to go on the dealers paperwork. If the transfer was to a friend /family, and the firearm has never been previously registered, who would know? Just hand it off. What I would do though, is find a reputable firearms auction house ( I have used Hessney's Auction in Geneva NY extensively) who will advertise the gun, handle all paperwork and get you a premium price. My firearms (total of about 2 dozen over several auctions) gained much more thus, even with thier commision, than I would ever have gotten on a casual sale.

Spring, mommy bears kick the born out on their own in anticipating of breeding. They do a lot of wandering figuring out where to be...where the food is. They arent very bright and are very vulnerable.

Retail has been plummeting for twenty years. I had most of my career in retail, and there has been little future in it for a very long time. Sorry for your life change, but in many cases the buy out such as you are looking at results in better hours, better benefits. I saw the writing on the wall long ago and took the opportunity to retrain in a job proof career with much better pay , hours and benefits...at your age. (health care).

Not at all. I have had pics of deer within the hour of changing it. Keep yourself clean, dont handle everything in sight. Of course, if you put up a camera in a new place and visit it frequently during the fall when they are most on edge, it probably makes them more cautious around the area.

Year round and check every 2-4 months off season, about every 2 weeks through most of hunting season but weekly the last week or two . Really more for my own entertainment than anything.

As long as you can run the motor....in a trash can of water or with ears, most folks will be happy.

Firearms like what you have are my favorite projects. Happiness is an afternoon breaking down, cleaning, tinkering, and reassembling old firearms. My only advice is to start with the most non- collectable, make sure you have good fitting screwdrivers (if not, buy a set of gunsmithing screwdrivers and punches), plenty of oil and start the soaking!

He is folk art. I love Grandma Moses and similar works, which he falls into. Several years ago we were at an auction, and a hand painted silk end table cover came up. It was wonderfully hand painted by Al Capp ( a friend of the family holding the auction) with all the characters from the comic strip "Lil Abner" (for those of you who remember such things), cavorting in a circular pattern . It was wonderful. I desperately would have loved it, but we absolutely had no place to put it.

We used to spend quite a bit of time in the Moose River Plains area. It is huge, and has a lot of free rustic camp sites within it. Limekiln State Park is just outside it. It would be a very good idea to go up ahead of time scouting. There are a lot of ridge lines you can follow with map and compass, and a canoe would be a good idea. There are a number of fairly large lakes that you can access lands by, or by going up different branches of the rivers. The area has a full time ranger on duty, whos office is at the entrance near Limekiln State Park. It is well worth the time to go up for a week end or two to familiarize yourself. I understand it has been quite heavily used the last couple years, but am sure mid week/off holiday, and after labor day you will not have any problems with crowds.

In most SA concessions, the land owner owns the meat. All animals are immediatly transported to the skinning shed and then placed in cold storage. Depending on the owners arrangements, it then may be dispursed to the local families, schools, organizations or sold to a butcher/grocery store. It is common to find prepared game meats in stores (Not referring to "bush meat" which is poached meat of unknown origin.}. The US does not allow importation of uncooked/ processed meat products. We did eat quite a bit of game when we were there. Kudu is especially fine, but we also ate springbuck, warthog, impala, and ostrich. Ostrich is very fine. Most of the antelope species are tough to tell apart, being very similar to venison. I would have loved to bring home the kudu straps, but was very pleased it was all entirely utilized. One concession we were on all meat went to a local school, which was likely the only meat the students recieved regularly. With few hunters going to SA over the past two years, it had a significant effect on local nutrition, and a great increase in poaching.

We have somewhere around a thousand, but have to come up with some good software to help organize them. I will be happy to post more, thanks for the interest.

The silly warthog was almost an afterthought...I had it on my list, but didnt care if I shot a pig unless it was a really good one. We didnt see much all week, but the last evening we went for a stroll on my PHs concession, a beautiful piece of rolling land that rolledd own to the ocean shore. We stalked a few, but nothing of interest. It was at very last light Jono spotted this fellow and a friend against a hillside. After a frantic scramble and quick stalk as the light continued to fade, we caught up with it. It far exceeded my expectations, and I was very pleased when our taxidermist (Taxidermy Africa, a very well known and long established business) got even more excited than us over it, saying it was the best warthog he had seen in years. The hog is now my favorite trophy. We are going to have a euroean mount on a plaque withe the skull engraved.

The wife and I returned from our "five years in the making" trip to the Eastern Province of South Africa. It exceeded all our expectations, from the hospitality, beauty, food, game, and more. Eighteen hours of flying to get there, which was a bummer when you are not used to flying. We overnighted in Johannesburg, which allowed us to rest up for the final short leg to Port Elizabeth. We were met by our host/guide Jono McHugh, owner and operator of Kingsview Safari, who arranged all our stay and was our near constant companion for ten days. Our first half of the trip was spent at a private reserve where we were fed and treated like kings. Staying at the concession allowed us to hunt literally out the door, and we were able to view wild life from our porch ...wart hog, blue wildebeest, giraffes, zebra...all the African standards (no Big Five on the property though). I used Jono's .270 for all my hunting, and it proved up to the task for what I hoped for...impala, kudu (my big trophy), warthog, and the wife stated that if we go to Africa, she gets a zebra rug! It would take way to long to detail all our adventures, the great folks we met and unfortunately a way of life that is doomed to end likely over the next 1-2 generations, but it was a once in a life time hunt/trip/ adventure. We two were able to go (not including airfare) for considerably less to hunt my four initial species; I actually chose to take an Nyala also, than a Newfoundland Moose hunt for one costs. A few pics...

Be sure to shoot off a rest for best consistency, as you would for a rifle.

The wife had always wanted to go "on safari" animal watching. I have been reading books on Africa since ...I learned to read, and have long dreamed of Kudu.. We never thought it would be affordable. I was talking hunting with a guy at an auction a few years ago, who told me I would be very surprised how affordable it could be. I went home and did some googling and was amazed. Considering an inexpensive moose hunt (think maybe Newfoundland) was running around 6500 at the time, we found out that we could go to Sout AFrica for ten days, splitting our time between hunting and non hunting activities, all meals and accomodations, four game animals (Kudu, Zebra, Impala and wart hog) for less than my last moose hunt. Our expenses are day trip activities and air fare. South Africa is probably the most civilized and safest region for a hunt, with alot of non hunting activities to offer the wife. But of all things, she is hyped up to go surf fishing for sharks!

The wife and I leave on monday 4-18 for South AFrica for ten days. First time we have ever flown anywhere or been out of the country.

Absolutely a Fisher, Eaglemountainman...they are small before they get bigger. Pine martins much more slender in build and almost a reddish color, with much bigger ears. Also, they do not get as large as the fisher that is shown.

A lot more common than most folks think. Doom for stray cats in rural areas (which is ok by me).

No. State land at the hatchery, surrounded by private lands. The Oneida Nation is actively working to buy up as much of the Sylvan Beach end of the lake a they can...New casino on the lake, townhouses, etc. I am surprised this was the Mohawk branch, but then...the Mohawk nation originally was in the area from the Hudson through the (obvious enough) Mohawk River. That said, the hatchery still I dont think would have been in their original homeland, but would still have been within the confederacy.

.380s are addictive. I always laughed at the caliber until I inherieted a Browning 1922. It is a delight to shoot and easy to carry. More of a "pop" when it goes off than a "bang".

Dead on with this. I have a full size 1911 and love it, really only carry it when outdoors with heavy clothes. You need the right physical build to carry it concealed appropriatly. The sig 938 is based on the 1911 in function except for no grip safety. It is a fantastic high performance high quality compact 9mm well worth looking at for concealed carry.

Bigger is better...side note....sump discharge usually is not to be put into the sewer lines, as it then needs to be treated. Pump it to a street gutter/etc. I was politely but very firmly directed in this matter by our town. It is very easy for the sewer systems to get overwhelmed by storm water.

I love local history and am sure I would enjoy it, but will happily defer to someone who is more local to the area and can more directly relate to the history. I am way up north.