Pygmy

Do Alaska NOW...It's beautiful up there, too... There is still good DIY and outfitted/unguided hunts available, but it isn't getting any cheaper or easier...From what I understand, some outfits are booked a year more in advance just for air transportation to a hunting area. If you wait for Quebec to re-open, you may never go... Don't put it off...You must do these things while you are physically and fiscally able... I'm sure glad that I did it while I could, because those days are behind me now... I still have my memories and my pictures/videos, but I sure wish I could experience it one more time<< a tear trickles down Pygmy's ruddy, weathered face>>…...

Great pictures and story...I hunted with JHA twice and was very impressed with both Richard himself, and his Operation...Very well organized.. I hunted out of Coursolles both times and in fact I recognize some of the terrain from your pictures..The one picture of you glassing looks like the spot where I shot 2 of my 4 bulls up there... On my first hunt we hit the migration perfect...Saw hundreds of bulls and everyone tagged out on big bulls..Our one bowhunter in camp had not taken a bull when all the rifles hunters had tagged out, but he held out and ended up with two of the biggest bulls of the trip.. On my second hunt we had animals coming through, but they were mostly cows, calves and small bulls everyone once again tagged out, but only a couple were good bulls... It is sad that hunt is no longer available....

Definitely a scruffy looking coon.. Looks like you guys have some nice soil to work with....Here on the hilltops in Dogpatch I have to work with mostly rocks and clay....

Welcome aboard..!...You must be a Calvin & Hobbs fan.....

Very nice bucks, my friend....Thanks for sharing !

The "beak" on the Atlantics is distinctive …. The only salmonoid that is similar is the pink, or "humpy" and they are a northern Pacific species, which as far as I know have never been transplanted here in the east, probably because they don't get that big ( 4-5 lb) and they are not all that good to eat...

I had one in my '57 Ford F-100 and in my '65 Chevy...Probably the same one....

I have seen my fair share of atlantics ( albeit landlocked) and I would agree with you... I assume you released it because it is so rare....Hehehe...

That looks like monster eye in your left hand...Better send some closeups of that atlantic…..From this distance the jury is still out...

Fished Keuka today with a friend who likes to troll for lake trout....Took a 2 man limit of 10 fish in about 3 hours, trolling Sutton spoons near bottom in 90-110 FOW....All were between 17-21 inches..Typical Keuka lakers… Weather was great, and the fishing wasn't too bad either..

Canned pork YUM !! Years ago I bought half a hog and instead of curing and smoking the ham, I canned it.... It was excellent...I've also done a lot of venison, chicken and fish, and a few rabbits.... Never canned any of my caribou, moose or elk, but I kind of wish I had tried some...Hmmmmmm….GOOSE might be interesting......

Use it right out of the jar to make chicken salad sandwiches...Or heat it in a sauce pan, make gravy with the stock and do chicken-n-bisquits or hot chicken sandwiches... For years I canned my home grown chickens when they multiplied beyond my flock limit...I really miss it...

Gives a whole new meaning to the term "cleaning fish"....Hehehe...

Reminds me of my Uncle Fester's place down here in Dogpatch... His deer blind isn't quite as fancy....

When is it legal to shoot a dog while hunting, other than when it is threatening you or another person ?? It certainly is not legal to shoot a dog that is chasing wildlife...A LEO can do it, but you can't legally do it

That's a dandy, Lee...Congrats !!

I lived for 35 years in a rural area, but it was a dairy farm surrounded by farm fields and the closest woods were a good 1/4 mile away....However, I killed two porcupines less than 100 yards of my house....They sometimes travel further than you would think over open ground... And no...a possum would NOT do that, and those claw marks on the fence are definitely not from a possum... I checked My Genuine Davy Crockett Indian Scout Handbook to confirm that..

WASH your hunting clothes ?? WTF kind of a silly idea is that ?? Reminds me of the time a Doctor prescribed some suppositories for me... For all of the good they did me I might as well have stuck them up my ass !!

That's a start...Are there any classic car buffs in the area ?....You may become the first person in NY to shoot a gobbler from behind an Edsel...

Is there a relatively open area within 50 yards of his roost tree ? If so, there is a good chance that he will fly down to it... Gobblers like to fly down to an area where they can see around them for security, and also they can strut and be visible to hens.. Go in full dark..Don't worry about the deer you bust when it is still dark..The bird will probably ignore them.... Set up where you can cover the open area ( it could just be an open spot in the woods)....Sit your ass against a tree, keep your turkey calls in your pocket.... He may fly down within range, because they like to fly down in a fairly open area.. If he flies down away from you, try some soft calling.... If he flies down in another direction and does not respond to your calling, you will have some info to use on your next try for him... That's the way it works...Try to glean some info from every time you are in the woods....Good luck !!

After re-viewing the photos I would definitely PORKY.....Notice the distance between the claw marks...Porky claws are quite widely separted, where squirrel claws are much closer together..

Porky....Second guess would be a deranged, hyperactive squirrel on steroids...

We all need to re-charge our batteries now and then...Back when I was in my 30s and 40s I could go every day....Now I have to take a break every few days.. Same thing applies to my love life....<<GRIN>>…..

Hats off to you Bill, My Friend....Turkeys called in for a friend count 2X..... I've called in some for friends, and I have also killed some that my friends called in for me...It's all good....<<SMILE>>….