Daveboone

We were there a few years ago. Great location. I would like to time another visit with a Redwings game, the ball field is only a couple blocks away.

rudolf had a coronary and fell into the tree.. Dang...he was almost sixty, after all.

I get out every chance year round. Always something to learn. What changes to the area, logging, access, atv use, Every outing improves your observation and knowledge of the area.

Yup, agree totally ...to those who have the old fashioned American work ethic. It is those who always want more and do not want to work for it that complain the most. I (think) I work hard, but we now own our house and camp free. I have a small fishing boat that I can use (never often enough) in one of the most water blessed states in the union. I have been very fortunate to have gone on several once only dreamed of hunts, my marriage is stable, health is good and dog doesnt bite. The kitchen is full of food, and the bills are paid on time. I actually am planning on a retirement, as opposed to both my grandfathers and father who anticipated jsut working until they dropped....which they did at an early age. After traveling overseas and seeing the incredible poverty, hunger and REAL political strife, I am amazed by what we offer. Now we just need Ronnie Reagan to return to pull us all back together again.

Other than feeding them to possums, I had several boxes of shells stored carelessly that were swollen/etc. I cut the cases open , poured out the lead to recast, and the powder is actually very benign. spread it on the lawn or mix it in kitty litter, etc. You could put a drop of oil on the primer, but I wouldnt worry too much about that.

helping this topic stray a bit, but...I always wondered ....wth? How many opossoms to people see around to start with? The occaisional highway pet, but otherwise I fail to see them making much of a dent in the ol' tic population...and if I was a 'possum myself, I be thinking its a lot less work to shimmy into a Mcdonalds dumpster for lunch than turning over a yards worth of Kentucky blue grass for a mouth full of tics. What was the original topic? Moldy bullets. Put em on the porch and the 'possums will lick them clean. Really, just shoot them up for plinking or some such. As long as the casings are fine and not swollen, they should be ok.

I dont believe in waterproof. Goretex is great, and is as close as it gets, but once the boot is saturated water finds a way in. I prefer a full leather upper that I treat with a bees wax base leather treatment. You have to keep it up, but I think it actually works better. And cotton socks in a boot suck. They soak up the sweat and wick moisture in. I wear merino wool socks year round (insulate against heat as well as cold) and keep my feet drier. If you want real waterproof for hunting...rubber boots of some sort.I put wool sole inserts in, and change my socks several times a day to keep ahead of the sweat. If I am hiking, I always wear gators. They keep the boot /pant leg dry. and remember, no matter the boot, it can only be water resistant/etc.. as high as the tongue extends. Make sure it is a fully closed tongue, going all the way to the top of the boot with no fold cuts.

Nope. If they are in the yard, they are visitors. Similarly, when we were in Africa doing some driving around scouting, animals look at vehicles very innocently. Several times we had very shootable kudu, nyala and antelope in gimme positions. I think the guide was kind of sizing me up....I just told my wife (who was tagging along) "not what we do".

Especially Seneca lake, considering how huge it is, has pretty limited access. As much area as it covers, it keeps the boats spread out so they arent as visible. I dont think there are any where near as many resident fisherman there as there used to be.

Mowed neighbors lawns with a push mower, soon after I was big enough to do ours...eight or ten probably. When twelve I got a newspaper morning route. Usually up at 4:30 to deliver papers no matter the weather, on foot if I couldnt ride my bike. To this day I am still iup at first light.. In high school I started working for a neighbor doing light construction site job chores, then finish carpentry until after graduation.

Thanks! Back atcha! Nothing would make me happier than a few walleyes for a friday fish fry!

launching from Godfrey, so that immediate area is most accessible. We used to do very well in the a.m. off of the Cleveland Bar, so will probably start there. Looks like wind is going to be light in the a.m.. Pretty much going to start with worms/ dixies. I am wondering how the algae bloom is, and the mayflies are peak hatching which will throw things off from past experience.

yo...Anyone been out on Oneida recently? I am putting my new to me boat in on friday, and havent actively fished for walleye in years, despite living only 1/4 mile from the lake.

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.