nyslowhand

Trust me, I'm not complaining... how'd they get away with so much TV nudity during her water trough bath scene...?

Fasteddie - You picked the worst section of regional highways (Rte104 from Bay bridge to about Williamson) for dumba$$ drivers. The term "yield" does not seem to apply along that stretch of highway! Not to mention courtesy!!

Like Robhuntandfish mentioned, you first need to establish where you'll be using the scope & the possible longest shot that can be made. Where I hunt, smaller woodlots surrounded by thickets, the furthest shot for me is ~100yrds with most in the 50-80yrd range. So, the need for my scope would have been over-kill to think about a 3-9 or 4-12 variable scope. Lot of benefits to a 4X fixed power scope if long range shooting isn't a requirement. Lower cost, wider field of view, never an issue with which BDC/X-hair to aim with, etc. BTW - flip-up scope covers can be an add-on, purchased at a lot of different places on web or retail.

Oh yeah, that's typical of block targets, even one's specifically for Xbows - burying the arrow/bolt up to the fletching. You'll find you may need to force (pound?) the arrow out from the back just to have enough to hold onto in the front to remove it. Not going to criticize you for where you made your 1st shot, but glad I wasn't in adjoining room!

When did leasing hunting property evolve? Use to be... everyone living within a mile or two knew each other and it was sort of unspoken that all land was free to roam, even w/o permission. Of course, back then no one locked their doors either! Main complaint I have about how hunting has evolved pertains to Jeremy K's post - MY DEER. Back in the day ... there were no "hit lists", "top 10s", named BBs, etc. Yeah, way before cell phones, social media and trail cams, so you basically spent more time scouting, used past year's sightings and hoped for the best. In today's world, hunting mature bucks has evoked into a form of sport, ranking or competition where recognition is important to the person harvesting a BB. This I just don't get!?! I'm a decent hunter and feel the only one I need to impress is myself. Is this just an old fart hunter's pet peeve?

Dozens of good fixed & mechanical BHs that hunters have had great luck with hunting with a Xbow. I've used NAP Spitfires and Maxx BHs for past 4yrs w/o any issues. Have shot several deer with Spitfires and all died within sight or heard them crash. Know of others that question the blood trail they produce. They do have replaceable blades, but I prefer not to use them. My philosophy is after shooting an arrow/bolt, both get retired to "practice" squad. At least with my 10pt Xbow, the Spitfires shot very much like the field points did. Like most expandable BHs, don't expect these to penetrate "bone", ie; shoulder blade. Haven't had a single early deployment, but I tend to reach down and make sure blades are seated snugly into pockets when I'm ready to hunt. FYI - Nap usually offers a 4pk in late summer, early fall for same $ as 3pk and some stores (Dicks) sell them for ~$35. NAP generally has an annual $5 rebate per pkg. IRC, need UPC and receipt for each purchase. Believe there was another topic about some cheap, imported, expandable BHs in the $1/BH range that have performed well. Arrows/bolts for a Xbow falls into the same debate as for a compound bow. Heavy, light, carbon, aluminum, blah, blah.. Then you get into the weight debate of both arrow & BH..!?! Heavier/hard hitting vs faster/flatter trajectory. A personal preference, each has their selling points! Again JMO, should get a "pass thru" with either option. Be curious as to how the Z355 shoots. Unlike setting the pins on a compound bow, do need a bench, sawhorse, rest, etc to zero-in a Xbow accurately. Budget Xbows typically have scopes that keep the $$ of the Xbow pkg lower... cheap scopes. JMO, you get what you pay for with Xbows. If you only want to get your feet wet with Xbow hunting, hell yeah buy an inexpensive model. Contrary to social media's blatant bragging, not an ideal situation shooting at a deer beyond ~45yrds. Know your Xbow and its' capabilities & limitations!

Lets ruffle some feathers... You do not need to practice from an elevated position... IF ... you have a good handle on where the critter's vitals are and the path of the arrows angled shot into that kill zone! Not a big fan of 3-D targets, but a block just doesn't give you this perspective. Couple other interesting real hunting, 1st shot scenarios: Raise bow and shoot within 4-5sec, shot off to an angle or hold at full draw for some extended time, then shoot. Aren't these the shots that are most often available. Me love them standing, broadside shots, but let's get real.....

Think the OP is asking too much from an extendable, manual pole saw. At least the Lowes/Fiskars models are flexible when fully extended! Pretty limited sized branches you can scissor off! Too large a branch and you really stress the pulley system. I've found the saw to be impossible a PITA to use when pole is extended. FYI - The Lowes/Fiskars models are basically 2pcs and either the pole or cutting head can be ordered separately off the web. They do have their uses, are semi-inexpensive, have a sort of limited service life and definitely have some limitations.

Interesting article in last issue of NYON about this very topic. IRC, about 45% of fawns don't make it to the point of losing their spots. Believe this was from a PA study and attributed fawn mortality to all forms of predators and roadkill. Another very interesting fact was that fawn mortality goes up exponentially regarding the distance they were born away from large, open crop fields. Had to take this mortality rate with a grain of salt due to there not being the black bear population there is in PA, at least in my 8F neck of the woods. Maybe the author (Buckstopshere) can chime in.

Re-thinking my policy about what trespassers I'd allow to......!??!

Here's the link, but hardly worth reading. https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37304.html

As always... dude, you amaze me with your talents!!!

See... even among us forum members there's some misconceptions about this 3D printing of a "gun". Imagine the hysteria the press has created, esp within the anti-gun ranks!??! JMO, those potato guns are far more dangerous.....

El Nino, La Nina, Farmer's Almanac, wooly catepilars stripes, blah, blah.... In Jeff Foxworthy terms; Mother Nature is a fickle b*tch and can't be trusted! Have to keep in mind those weather pattern predictions forecast are relative. IE; warmer, colder, more or less snow, etc are possible upcoming weather trends and not the end of the world. Yeah, October usually has some hot days making the recliner more tempting than the tree stand. Life goes on, deer do what they usually do with slight changes, the rut will happen, you'll eventually see some deer and hopefully an encounter with a nice mature BB.

Problem with this, as Moog asked is - the printed term that's used for this process. Lot of anti-gun people are waving their arms thinking this can be done with a simple PC and your desktop printer. NOT the case! It's a refinement of the decades old stereo lithography technique to make a "touchy-feely" prototype w/o investing in tooling $$. Process hasn't changed much other than gotten cheaper to invest in and materials have vastly improved. Biggest misconception is that all a person needs to do is input a blueprint file and out pops a functioning 9mm handgun, less the ammo......

Early, way early reminder about BS safety form all you Xbow hunters need to fill out & carry. On page 23 of new reg booklet or use link below for that page only. Save &/or print-out and put with licenses or in wallet. https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/18crossbows.pdf

Here's a link to the DEC website where you can download the entire new guide in efile format, or parts of it as applicable. FYI - Entire guide is ~20Mb, so be warned. https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37136.html

Since this has become such a political "hot potato", why not support legislation to put the decision in the hands of the DEC, instead of the clueless legislators??? Someone exponentially more intelligent than me, Albert Einstein is widely credited with defining insanity, as doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results..........

Interesting situation...! Let us know the outcome.

Hunting wisdom for the ages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The OP's original question was about when do you put out cams ("get serious") to see what's around your area. Implied is will these summertime photos show what'll be around during hunting season. Simple answer is - bucks maybe/does probably! Sure, cam photos/vids taken during bow season can help pattern a buck, sometimes. Things get pretty hectic during the rut, so what you see on your cam one day may become a futile hunt the following day. Agree with member that said hunting a BB you'd gotten tons of summertime photos of can often ruin your fall season. Did this once! Oh yeah, MOOG. Lot to be said about the "good ole days" before trail cams. You hunted an area because it had been productive in the past. Feet on the ground scouting was the MO of the day. Long before the naming of BBs or having a hit-list. You started your hunt with not a lot of expectations and often were pleasantly surprised when a big boy strolls by. Anyone scouting with cam Intel on recent activity, while ignoring any historical harvests or patterns is missing a key factor of success. Love seeing those bucks grow their late spring, summertime headgear, but pay more attention to what's going on with the does and their feeding patterns. Esp in Sept when it changes in my area. Boys will be boys, so if the girls are around, the boys will eventually show up!!!

With a 12ac hunting parcel as you described, seeking retrieval rights from adjacent landowners is almost a must. I'd begin there and see how the conversation evolved. You may find out your getting into an unwanted dispute with relatives or friends of friends with the adjacent landowner. Don't need to tell you this may turn out bad!! Optimistically, could also become a blessing in disguise!?!

Trail cams are great for entertainment & inventory purposes. Nice to know they are around, gets my pre-season enthusiasm pumped up!!!! Anyone that has used them long enough realizes there's no predicting what BB will show up where/when by strictly using months or even weeks old cam shots. Huge changes in a BB's summertime patterns and behavior begin when the velvet starts to come off. More so when their hormones intensify. Don't we all know there are some bucks that seem to hang around into bow season, others may disappear or then magically a never before seen BB strolls past your stand. When do I get serious about trail cam photos/vids - never serious, but enthusiastic yes! Maybe if using a cam with a cellular transmitted photo of a BB and you can get to that area within hours.

You should call Czar Andy and demand a refund on the gas tax that supposedly is used to maintain highways that you pay every time you put gas in your ATV. Oops, forgot I also pay that tax when I'm mowing my lawn, fire-up my chainsaw, etc... Thing that irks me is the snowmobiles that seem to be allowed along roads and even crossing them w/o a lot of tickets issued or eyebrows raised. Admire those that play in the cold & snow, but you'll have to admit there seems to be different rules for sleds vs ATVs.

... or just wear your street clothing and fill your pockets with corn. A $10 bag will fill a lot of pockets. Kidding of course!!!