Daveboone

Yes sir. I am not quite considered a "Heathen", but I do believe the world is too great to be caught in one philosophy. Mine starts with being respectful to others, which certainly is stepped over starting this topic. I routinely don't read certain forum members posts because they are immature/ rude/ ignorant (I am not referring to anyone in this topic!). Wolc 123 enjoyment is heightened by his spiritual connections to the outdoors...I appreciate that. He isn't rude or condescending to anyone, and should not be treated as such. The internet is breeding rudeness through its impersonal nature. Now! Why, when the thread is of Must Haves in the woods, does it get sidetracked by taking swipes in the first place? (and My Church is the woods, where I can see a creators glory in every view, breath and sound!!)

two. first one weighed out at 205, 2nd one 220. The first was my first buck ever.

unless the fences are 8 foot tall, no deterrence. Meet the neighbors before you buy. Fence or no fence, they make the area. My neighbors and I get along great (key is everyone is respectful, law abiding) and look out for each other. Fences separate you, it is the city thing to do. You are setting the tone right there. If you only show up a couple times/ only through the hunting season, trespassers/ vandals/ thieves know it. Have a frequent presence, being sure friends and family can visit year round, helps tremendously for a regular security presence. My neighbors and I share common trails/ ATV paths, and let each other wander freely if we aren't there. We routinely make goofy pics of each other on our game cameras. Do NOT take the attitude "its my property, I will do what I want". You will only be a neighborhood outcast, and more subject to property issues.

6J for all of HV, as I recall.

I interpret this as one gun for big game.... I would say 30-06 bolt action...bullet weights and loads available for anything in N.A.

knife, cord, compass, matches, papertowels to wipe my glasses ..or.....

If the camp rule is doe first, that is fine and dandy if legally taken...if not, find another camp.

I was raised with open sights, and deer hunted with my slug gun for over 25 years with open sights. Also used the same slug gun for bunny and grouse hunting. Woodchucks with my .22 with open sights. When I bought my first new deer rifle, I put a Leupold 1.5x 5 power on it, because most of my hunting continues to be in woods, and the 5x is plenty for out to 200 yards ...a number of times. Though most of my rifles now sport low power scopes (I actually have three identical L. vx 3 1.5x5s) I do occasionally hunt with my aperture sight mounted win. 94 30-30. And I am still very proficient with open sights, but limit my shooting to about 50 -75 yards. No question a good scope is a great assist in low light, and being sure of your shot.

This is Daisy, my Rottweiler. Pretty much my constant companion when I am not working. She looks a lot more serious than she really is.

My camp is only on 10 acres, but surrounded by several thousand. I have stands on my land, apples, and a food plot, which is a draw for the deer, allowing me to have a few stands to hunt . Most of the time though, I am on the surrounding land. If the deer have reason to go on your land, it can be productive with only a tiny piece. We hunt a very small piece of land in the southern tier (about 2acres) that consistently produces, but the deer must move through it for bedding areas, corn, etc. as well as whenever locals move through the surrounding areas. I consider this shooting, not so much hunting. We haven't needed to adjust our stands in 25 years. sit long enough and you will get a shot. Not really hunting. I go there when I want meat in a hurry. My camp allows me to hunt...look for and eval. changing deer sign, still hunt, etc. I prefer to go there to hunt. Really hunt, and that doesn't mean a guaranteed deer.

The article also totally ignores the presence of massive tracts of forest: Adirondacks, Catskills, Alleghanies, the Tug Hill region, etc. that produce true wilderness experiences, as opposed to the states that are almost entirely small plots of woodlands and easily accessable, manageable farm land.

With Iron sights, you can hold a much finer bead by not covering your aiming point with your front site. Use the fine top edge of your site as the aim point, It will also leave more of the target visible. If you can, set up a .22 with the same sighting system as your deer gun, and practice. With time, you will be amazed at how fine a bead you can hold. I do have a low powered (1.5x5 ) on 3 of my rifles, and usually keep it on the lowest power for best field of view and light gathering. Eyes aren't what they used to be.

I wouldn't use cloth tape...it will hold moisture.

Unfortunately camp break ins/ property thefts are a harsh reality. I cant leave anything out at my camp. Finally about 4 years ago I bought a steel shipping container, put a lock box on it, and everything goes inside. No problems since, except for last winter scrappers stole my propane regulator and snapped off all the exposed copper. Actually today I just finished redoing it, making sure it is all within the joists, covered with ply wood. Luckily the propane company is replacing the regulator. Make sure everything has identifying numbers, even if you have to engrave them yourself. Report everything and every incident. Usually in time the perps get caught, and the more that is documented, the better chance of getting it back.

Thanks all. Newfie has a very high moose population, with very respectable bulls possible, but not comparable to Yukon or Alaskan moose for size. We did see a 52" rack at the border. The guides packed the boned meat out on their back (about 4 miles)to a skiff to cross back to where the camp was, then it was flown out with us. Once back at basecamp the outfitter immediately drove it to a butcher about 30 miles away, who had it processed for us within 4 hrs so we could boogy to make that nights ferry! All four qtrss, back strap and loin totaled approx. 300 lbs, with 234 lbs vacuum wrapped wt. I used a beefed up load I had used for years...A Sierra 175 gr.Power point pushed by 53.5 grains of 748 with magnum primers for a chronographed load of about 2740 fps. When we put our deposit down 3 years ago, cost including license, meals, fly in, one on one guide was 4600.

Darn it, I wrote up a more extensive summary, but lost it...Here is the basics! After most of a 3 day travel from Oswego Cty including an overnight ferry trip to Newfoundland, we found ourselves at Patey and Sons Outfitting in River of Ponds, NF. This had been a 3 year scheduled, 10 year planned and 40 year dreamed of hunt for me, ever since reading "Look to the Wilderness" at the age of 12. After efficiently and pleasantly processing our paperwork (including licenses, butcher processing orders ...that's confidence?) and driving to the base camp, we had a fantastic flight out to our unnamed lake, about 45 minutes flight time away. We were awed by the untouched glacial wilderness, with probably 100s of thousands of glacially formed ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. we easily imagined woolly mammoths wandering in past times. After arriving at our camp, our pilot hurriedly headed back, racing the atlantic storm bearing down on us, which hampered us for the next 5 days. Season opened on Saturday, but heavy fog, rain and wind kept us indoors. Sunday was a no hunt day by law.Monday....a break in the weather! To condense the story, Both Ed and I realized poor weather for the rest of the week was coming, and we both were going to be happy with a bull with palmation. Only after about an hour into our sit to glass from a rocky hill situated in the middle of a sprawling valley, my guide spotted 3 moose- two cows, a good bull and 2 big bears. I had shot plenty of bears, so aftr a quick discussion, we planned a stalk on the bull, who was est. about 900 yards away, across the easterly valley on a hill just below tree line. After backtracking and crossing the valley, we approached the last seen location , using three large boulders as land marks. We knew he was bedded, so settled down to wait him out, I saw him stand, with a perfect angling shot behind the r shoulder. The shot should hit both lungs and take out the L shoulder....which it did! (about 170 yards, taken with my upgraded 1933 mfg. Oberndorf Model 98 Mauser, 8x57 mm.) The bull dropped in his tracks. My hunting partner Ed shot a similar sized bull about 2 in the afternoon with his 30-06 Remington pump.Over all a pretty dang fine day. We couldn't say more about the organization, planning, accomodations, etc of the outfitter. It is a fly in hunt, so it isn't cushy, but is certainly comfortable with plenty of good home style cooking, and VERY attentive and cordial guides. We left early due to the continuing foul weather, and a window allowing us to leave wed. a.m. We hope to return asap, but it will probably be 5 years or so for my pocket book.

Pygmy, I will happily oblige once I get my...stuff together. I will post under out of state hunting (or most appropriate section), probably next day or so

you hunt according to where you find deer sign.

If I know there is a big buck active in the area, I may pass, so as not to be distracted from the chance at him. Liikewise, I usually wont shoot a doe until I have a good idea of the does in the area, to make sure I tag a nice mature one. Your priority after shooting the deer (buck or doe) should always be gutting and cooling the meat as soon as possible for the best possible meat.In my book, that means getting it out of the woods and hanging immediately.

First deer was a huge finger lakes doe shot on Thanksgiving day 1977 with a pumpkin ball out of a bolt action JC Higgins 12 gauge goose gun. First buck was a few years later with my dads sporterized 8mm. '98 Mauser. I shot a moose with that last week up in Newfoundland.

Its a sad day in America when we brag about our freedom and rights, and then choose not to get involved. And yes, I have gone toe to toe with perpetrators, not just calling in a poacher/ scofflaw, but with parents of local kids vandalizing property, beating up other kids, etc. If we know what is right and say we practice what is right, we promote anarchy when we say "not my problem". And...no , I am not without sin, but have grown wiser.

My 60 year old Marlin 39 .22.Open sights, Its what I learned to shoot with.Next probably one of my aperture sighted Winchester 94s in 30-30.

I have a pair of Tubbs bear paws, one of several Ive owned (lost two pair in a fire). Just be sure to get plenty of snow shoe for your wt. and any gear you may be carrying.

It probably is a year old bear...Ive looked at many from bait stands in Canada. Judgement call on if you want a bear that bad...If the hide is real nice it can still make a nice display, and bear meat treated properly is fine dining. LIke someone else pointed out....most NY bears are on the small side...young, foolish, uneducated. Just like deer, there are a lot more small to middlin ones than big ones.

Cool Krag! I hate to admit it, but I almost forgot that last fall I also bought a sporterized Krag. The military stock was sporterized, with a redfield aperture added. I bought it from the estate of a very old local family...actually the pioneering family of our town (circ. 1780), so I get very excited thinking about the experiences it had. Even in the early 20th century, our area was pretty wild. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. sorry, no pics. I got mine for 225., and was surprised to get it for that.