Daveboone

Along with the mast already mentioned, look for logging sites in recent years, where brambles, grass, etc. is growing up. Nearby farmers fields/corn, crops etc. Scout the borders of the state lands nearby for the corridors (and signs of other hunters old sites...they may be possessive. Waterholes, etc. No substitute for getting out and putting in foot time...Now, not later.

Huge life long fan...(well, since I discovered them in the seventies...) I was lucky enough to see them in Syracuse on the Steel Wheels tour...eleventh row center. Great seats and great show. I was sure he would be last man standing of the band. Never. Never sang. Not even back up. Keith states in his biography he did for Symphony...but if you watch the video of the making of the song, Charlie is standing very bored, very not involved and very NOT singing with everyone else "Hoo Hooing".

I have a new Mauser M18 in .308 all sighted in and ready to go, but since spring I have been shooting in a weekly black powder league, mostly using my Lyman Great Plains flintlock in .54, black powder and cap and ball. I hope to use that most of the season, but I have my GPR in percussion as a back up for sloppy weather..really foul weather I will likely use the M18. I sold my inline. No fun, and I shoot my cap and balls better. Thick north woods, range isnt a concern. Unless they are too close.

Yep. Sounds like a very smart idea. I can check with the pharmacy to see what the cost is...needless to say, as much time as I spend outside there (considerable) it is a smart thing to do anyway, regardless of the cost.

Call your local Cooperative Extension about water tests. Cornell does them for a very minimal cost. Do you have access to a portable generator? If so, bring it and backfeed it to the pump/camp, and fire it up. See what the flow is and if you can drain it. If you bring a couple 55 gallon drums, you can get a good idea of its capacity, and it wouldnt be a bad idea to drain the well anyway. Then if you shock it, you are starting with fresher water.

Crap! Glad you are ok. Last fall I also had a very scary incident with ground hornets, when mowing the lawn. I was stung over thirty times...lost count, mainly on my feet and ankles, and L hand. I ran inside, with the bastards following me. Stripped down and brushed em off. They were down in my shirt and in my hair still stinging. I took four benadryl immediatly, and walked quickly across the way to where my neigbor was, to have someone else around (we were up at our camp). Over there I pulled off my socks to find even more hornets still in there! After about an hour, we knew at least that I was safe from an allergic reaction, and I drove home. Spent the most miserable next several days of my life, and my L hand was swollen twice its size for about three weeks. My doctor recommended an epi pen...which any doc can offer for prophylaxis in the home.... He stated that after such an exposure as I had, I would be more likely to have an allergic reaction in the future. hate to spend the 300.oo for the pen though.

No matter the stand....your harness is just as important!

When I started hunting in the seventies, shotguns were more the norm than the exception. We shot small game ALOT. Most everyone would say they were primarily small game hunters, but also hunted deer. Thus, most of us also used the same gun for deer as rabbits, etc. We knew our guns well. Come NY southern tier deer season, we did a lot of pushing through hedgerows and corn. Jumped running deer were the norm. And we got very good...but I admit, sometimes alot of lead was thrown. Rifles are now allowed in most of those areas, and were welcomed. Techniques have changed, but the deer take is higher now with rifles. Yep, deer are often shot further away, but also more precisely. Very seldom do you hear the artillery barrages that were common in the old days. Myself, I am a better shot now than ever, but I also know when and when not to shoot. Generally, i do not make any shots at deer moving faster than a brisk walk....and then I am picky. I respect the animals much more, and will not shoot if I am not going to make a clean kill. My opinion, is throwing lead is the substitute for poor marksmanship.

What are the ranges you hunt at? That is what more determines the power you need...Most typical NY hunting is at baseball throwing range, not needing anything very high. Woods environment, the higher the power the more distortion you will get from junk between you and the target.

I have never been choosy with camo, anything works to break up the outline. For that matter, my old faithful Woolwich red/black plaid does the same...the muted red really doesnt stand out, especially in the shadow of woods. My preference is for a Malone grey or dull green. I more shop the materials and construction than the design. Back in the day hunting southern tier, we would be head to toe hunter orange, and although it might help in some situations for visibility...not always. I was directly shot at from close range. Luckily the idiot was a lousy shot. And fleet of foot.

I am surprised on you thoughts on Leupold. I had one scope I thought was buggers new, but on trouble shooting I found that I poorly torqued the ring screws...uneven or too much and it makes the scope wacky. No damage done and was perfect after. A scope mounting torque wrench is your friend. My only other advice is to be sure NOT to get too much glass ( magnification wise). Buy for the ranges you realistically hunt...for me, that is well within 75 yards. Who cares about potential range of the gun, groups, etc. if you will never shoot greater than 80 feet? (not saying that is you, but a huge number of folks buy high power glass for baseball range shooting).

You need your neighbors permission.

Opening week of ML every year at my camp on the Tug. I am very excited to be hunting this year with a flintlock for the first time. I sold my t/c Triumph a ways back...never liked it. For really rotten days I will fall back on my faithful Lyman Great Plains Rifle.

Foxes and coyotes It looks like? How many seasons work is that for you? I have always wanted to get involved in trapping, but unfortunately cant commit the time to keep up with them as I would need to. About 20 years ago I picked up a cleanly killed coyote off 81 which a local taxidermist made into a rug. I am always surprised by folks the first time they see it...It was a very nice hide, and folks are surprised how beautiful an animal they really can be.

Contact your local DEC officer/ forest ranger for recommendations. Better yet, join a local gun/hunting club. First for the range time, 2nd to meet people. Get involved with the club to meet folks. Opportunities open up... Yours (and many new hunters) situation, like most of us, is developed over time to build contacts and opportunities.

Dont worry so much about height as wind direction. Be still. Leave the cell phone on silent in your pocket. the two seconds spent glancing at it is probably the two seconds you missed the flash of a tail... Be patient. TV shows /etc. give a VERY unrealistic perception of hunting. Sure, there are some productive spots where you might see several deer a sitting, but way more often you may spend days without. Learn patience, be observant. Enjoy the goal. Practice from your stand. "Good enough" shooting usually isnt...and results in wounded deer. Hold yourself to a high standard (not for a wall hanger deer, but for your ethics).

Best of health and luck to him! I love trying other nations foods, but I have a tough sell with the wife. Never eaten Ethiopian though willing! Looks good!

Patched round ball properly placed kills quickly and cleanly. It is what I will be hunting with. I am always amazed at how little surrounding tissue damage/ blood damaged meat there is. The round ball does not kill as much by hydrostatic shock that a centerfire bullet does, but its mass does the job.

I have used them extensively in New Brunswick bear hunting, and they are very effective. Sometimes we are on stand eight to ten hours. We would slide a new wafer in after about six hours ...best I remember. The fuel cylinder always lasted the night, but again I forget how long they should last. I always carried a spare. I forget how long they are supposed to last. As bad as the bugs are, they are worth every penny.

Probably first kill....(that I remember...) woodchuck with a brick. Finished off with a golf club. Used for trout flies. First woodchuck with a rifle...Marlin model 39 .22 First fish...sunfish on a fishpole made out of a piece of old tv antenae with bacon fat for bait. First deer...big southern tier doe with a single shot JC Higgins bolt action goose gun (slugs). First buck....205 lb Tug Hill ten point with dads sporterized 8mm model 98 Mauser. Rabbits, squirrels, etc...damned if I remember. First bear...300 win mag Ruger Mk 2. Horrified me. Almost blew the damn thing in half. Only thing I ever shot...immeditly sold it. First moose...the 8mm Mauser again (after about forty years of slow conversion to a modern bolt action shooter). First bow deer...6 pt with a PSE Thunderbolt (did I get the name right? been a long time and havent bow hunted in decades) First ML deer...finger lakes doe with a Traditions Hawken type 50 cal.

The old wood workers used to say that for every stroke using a knife, you had a stroke sharpening/ honing. Of course steels are much better today. I have a carborundum med/coarse (flip side) stone for heavier sharpening, when I have been bad to my blades, but a fine hard arkansas stone is used most frequently, with oil. I do have a diamond hone that I keep in my hunting pack for field touch up though. A good stone will last generations if taken care of.

I am a huge Leupold fan, and mostly have VX 3s, but have a couple of VX 2s, which they discontinued for ...I think, the freedom line. Last fall I bought one in 2-7 for my new .308. Optics are fine, but the adjustments arent as positive (clicks) as the old VX2s or 3s.

yep....call Nikon. Good warranty service. If looking to replace, check out Leupolds. I have a pair of Cascades (pretty sure that was the name) about 300 bucks or so but darn nice binoculars and great warranty service...best part about it is that other than accidents, it is unlikely you will ever need it!

I have to admit I didnt see the whole video, but that certainly does look like a trail cam.

Great filming...obviously captured birds almost entirely, but I have read a number of first hand accounts of golden eagles killing mountain goat/ deer fawns, usually by knocking them off cliffs.