Two Track

I have never knuckled or trimmed my apple tree in the past 3 years since it was planted. The deer seem to do that and eat the blossoms for me Hopefully will get that fenced in soon. I have a family resource regarding apple trees. Will see what I can find out.

Learned a few things since I am teaching myself turkey hunting: the gobbling bird you work for 30-45 minutes to come out from the brush may be a hen they may prefer recently plowed fields, not the 2 foot high grassy field that you have cover in the tree-lined break between fields they disappear quickly in 2 foot high grass they can squat down down and blend in to a damp plowed field just because you directed two lost mountain bikers back to the trail 2 minutes earlier, it is not time to stand and stretch out - you get busted by the silent tom you may call in a male pheasant to feed in the open plowed field using a turkey call when it is raining, and thunder is approaching, quietly head back to vehicle using cover - the turkey may be on the trail 40 yards from your vehicle ( I had already unloaded my gun and was walking back quickly) place order for box-call chalk before you really need it check/clean car battery contacts before season starts (at least I did have pliers in the vehicle) double-check you have a refresh can of insect repellent (instead of two days of having face bitten up around face mask at beginning of season)

INS existed until 2003 as a sub department of the DoJ. Some of its functions are now in ICE (immigration and customs enforcement) and border patrol. They have been shifting agency names and functions around a lot over the past few years - that may have created the errors in the article. It still should be read with a grain of salt. Am I mistaken or isn't the USDA the United States Department of Agriculture? My father knows people in the local US Department of Agriculture offices 2 of the counties by him - none of them are armed. So either that part is untrue, or that acronym is also used for another federal agency.

Try out different shotguns, 12, 16, and 20 gauge before making a choice. 12 gauge kicks the most. The magnum versions have more powder in the magnum rounds and therefore more kick (and a harder hit on your target). Shot my first .30 rifle (.300 Savage model 99) last year. A little less kick then a 16 gauge using #6's. The slugs will kick a little more. Have dropped deer with a smooth-bore 16 gauge right in their tracks. Taken deer at 60-70 yards or so with it - bead sights-only. I mostly use a shotgun, but in a couple areas that allow rifle near me that have areas with a long open fields, I will grab the rifle.

My grandfather would have snapper soup anytime one of buddies would catch one for him. That is one of the four harvested citters that he would have and I would not eat: snapping turtle, raw oysters, clams, soft-shell crabs. No problem eating some fried frog legs or steamed crab meat. Came across a snapper when heading out turkey hunting last year. It was in the middle of the state forest dirt road. Either way I tried to go around, it would and hiss at me. Gave him a wide berth. Yes he did stink really bad. Looked around for a dead animal because it smelled so bad.

We always had to have back tags back where I grew up. Having parts of the state not requiring wearing back tags is odd to me. To me anyone out in the woods carrying a firearm without a back tag is a poacher until proven otherwise. Yes changing layers or jackets as the season weather changes can be a drag to move the back tag around. But that is why you can get duplicate back tags for free and the holders are only a couple of bucks. 1 for hunter orange vest/jacket 1 for camo jacket for turkey/archery season 1 for waist pack harness or daypack

Grew up where we could dove hunt. We would flush out a covey sometimes while rabbit hunting. Being I was 12-13 at the time, I was focused on finding the rabbits and ended up fetching dad's dove and quail. When dove take off, can't mistake their soft vocalization with the fast wing-beats. Have to react fast to get in a shot or two. Its like jumping a bunch of rabbits at once excitement wise. I don't get how dove are not game species in NY and quail have a season in my county. I never see quail, but I see doves when out looking for rabbits and squirrels. Even went through some public land that was supposed to be stocked with quail.

Mongaup Pond State park. It is in the Roscoe/Liberty area. Rent canoe, row boat, or kayak on site, or bring your own. No motor-powered boats allowed except battery-powered trolling motor. Can visit trout fish hatchery a few miles down the road. The pond is spring-fed at multiple locations. There is a hiking trail around the pond. Can bike-ride but no scooters, skateboards, or skates allowed. Have to get water from facets around each bathroom area, no on-site water or electric. Picnic area has charcoal grills and the bath house. There is a "dock" by the boat launch ramp too. Don't recall seeing any playgrounds on site. A friend or ours alternates camping between North-South lake and Mongaup Pond. Cell-service is limited to the the pond - best signal in in middle of the pond. Some pond-side sites may have limited cell-service. If recall correctly, $20 per night at State Campgrounds. If want super kid friendly, look at Jellystone in Woodridge, NY. Small pond to fish in, peddle-boat rentals. Playground, visits with Yogi, BooBoo, and Cindy bear. Small store onsite. Can rent site for tent, camper w/electric and water, small cabin, or deluxe cabin.

Tried 2 more areas that haven't been in yet in Sterling Forest (3P). One on Saturday and the other on Sunday. Saturday someone took two quick shots around 10 - saw nothing and heard nothing until headed home. 4 miles down the road had a gobbler cross the paved road in front of me at 12:15. this was near a golf course and peoples homes. No place to hunt there. Sunday, I tried the ridge above where I was the morning before - saw just a pair of hawks sharing a tree. Monday my wife got called in to work substituting - she sends me pics of three bearded gobblers on the playground. My wife and kids are starting to think I just go out and sleep in the woods or something. At least I have evidence that I went out - muddy truck & boots and bug bites on my face and the scent of bug repellant. It is close to the point where I only get a pre-frozen bird again. Seems like I only see them when they are out of season.

Frankieh, Closest public areas to hunt will be Sterling Forest on the Rockland/Orange County border and the Stewart buffer lands. Sterling Forest is late into the season for rabbit/squirrel/birds, as no firearms allowed until about Nov. 1. Both have hiking/biking trails so you can check out the area long before season starts. When I go to the Catskills to camp on some of the state campgrounds, I frequently see deer herds along some of the fly-fishing streams in the evening. Of course they were not in a location to hunt, summer homes dotted the area. I know the commute you will have to the places I mentioned to hunt, I work in Elmsford and live Orange County. Plan on bringing something caffeinated, or stop for some coffee for the return trip. Sunday afternoon/evening back across the TZ bridge sometimes gets nasty traffic.

I would recommend going to a shooting range to get a feel using a shotgun - they more kick than most rifles. Some ranges have a few on hand to use, for rental fee of course. I use various available guns in the family. Most are 30-40 plus years old and are all good shooters. So a good quality used gun is fine if funds are tight. I mostly use a 16 gauge semi auto, not so common these days since the 20 gauge magnums hit the market, for just about everything. Smooth-bore barrel only, since most of the time I am in the woods and not having long open fields (or no backstop for a long shot) A smooth-bore shotgun is all I need most of the time. I growing up, some of my friends only used single-shot guns for hunting, including goose and rabbit. So single or double-barrel may be an option for you if you take good shots consistently. If your are a smaller frame person, you may want to consider the 20 gauge, in general less kick than a 12 gauge. If go to a magnum, then the gun will kick more. A heavy barreled gun will reduce the kick, but does get heavy to carry around all day. But a 12 gauge being a larger caliber, has more pellets going down-range, so larger change of getting a bird or two. Recommend trying each caliber at a range to get a feel for what is comfortable to you before making a purchase. You said NY Metro area, so I am guessing you would look to lands either on Long Island, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, and Sullivan counties. Rockland and Westchester counties is basically all private land. Orange County has Sterling Forest (a few archery only zones in it), Stewart buffer lands (shotgun only), Storm King mountain (deer only?), West Point (deer only by special permit, Pochuck State forest, and Huckleberry Ridge state forest. Sullivan has a few areas like Mongaup and the Catkills state forest. As someone noted, Gear can get expensive. My wife got me some turkey pot calls and a box call at a yard sale from an avid hunter who needed to pair down some of his gear accumulated over a few decades. Quailty gear that is taken care of can last a very long time. My son has my orange vest from when I was in high school. Depending on weather and game, I use my grandfather's hunting coat. We have my grandfather's zippo hand warmers from 40 plus years ago and they still work. So nothing wrong with some good quality used gear. Depending on what you are hunting for, hunting dogs can be a bonus as long as you have the time to care for them, keep up their training, keep them exercised, as well as their vet and food bills. Rabbit, quail, and pheasant hunting is much easier with dogs. I have gone out with a party of 4 without dogs and we end up having 2-3 rabbits and a bird or two, or come home empty other times. Been out with a party of 6 with 5 dogs and we would get at least 6 rabbits every time.

To hunt, you must take and pass the Hunter Safety course, then purchase you license for the year (or purchase a life-time license) Some areas require a special permit to hunt on some lands, like the NYC watershed lands and some park lands. If deer hunting, then you may want to get doe tags, otherwise you are limited to one buck. Depending on where and what you are hunting will help determine what gun and other items you need. Some counties and some state lands are shotgun only, others may limit deer hunting to archery only. For birds (turkey, grouse, crow, goose, duck, quail, etc) you must use a shotgun. Small game like squirrels, rabbits, groundhog/woodchuck, and your fur-bearers (fox, coyote, martens) you can use a .17 or .22 caliber rifle. Deer and bear hunting laws require you to use a larger caliber than a .22 rifle, or 20 gauge or larger shotgun. Best all-round choice would be a shotgun, either 20 or 12 gauge. If will be in an area that you can see and take long-range shots, I would get a combo package of a smooth-bore and a rifled barrel that you swap. Use rifled barrel for deer/bear hunting with sabots, the smooth-bore barrel for everything else. If you live in one of the 5 boroughs of NYC, then you need a special permit to have a gun within city limits. Clothing Duck, goose, turkey hunting you would need to blend into the environment, so clothing should be camo. Deer, rabbit, etc should wear some hunter safety orange so you will be seen by other hunters. How heavy (warmth) or light you need is up to you and the weather you intend to hunt in. Accessories gun cleaning kit - specific to your caliber personal choice if want to use calls and/or decoys. Scope on a gun is a personal choice, Scope choice will vary by intended shot range, desired magnification, etc. If only taking shots 50 yards or less, then scope is not necessary as long as the barrel has sights on it. some people use cover scents to help hide the human smell some use scent lures for deer tick repellant (Sawyers Permethrin) is a must in high tick areas. Apply to clothes only. Deet to apply to exposed skin (back of hands, neck, face) to keep mosquitoes at bay Best learning method is to work with some experienced hunters and spend some time to sight-in your gun at a range.

I may get a late start too on Friday. My truck has a flat and am not changing it out in the rain for the doughnut spare. Looks like a screw in the tire treads. Otherwise I have to try another area that I can take the car into. Supposed to have 3 inches of rain today and some more tomorrow. So, without the truck, no low dirt roads or muddy parking spots which takes out 3 or 4 locations for me. I haven't seen a Tom during season yet, but I have had a hens running across a field at 10:30 last season. But this is my 3rd Turkey season, so still learning a few things. We didn't have turkeys nearby to hunt when I grew up, so I am learning this on my own. Last Tom I spotted was at 7 PM last week, hope he is still around. K9-26, Plan for getting bit up by gnats, black flies, and mosquitoes. Pulling out the Sawyers Permethrin to treat my clothes tonight. Last year a few got around my shooting glasses. Got to figure out a solution for that still.

Childhood nick name that some of my grandparents friends still called me by when I was in high school. Of course I still play with (ahem, I mean) set up trains around Christmas - to go around the tree for the kids. I got 2 boxes for just the scale model buildings - some built by/with my dad when I was little, some just me, few others done a few years ago with my wife.

Took my 30 years ago, but in a different state. No shooting involved. Class was taught in the evenings at a local community college. Think it was around 7 PM during the fall. Too dark to shoot. They may have had one or two guns for the instructors to demonstrate safe handling techniques. Two years ago, my son and I went for the archery hunting classes. Day two involved 3 shots. You provide the bow and arrows. They also had a tracking class. Someone went out and laid a blood trail and hid a stuffed deer to locate. Instructors checked your stance, release, and observed how safely you handled it the equipment. They offered pointers if someone had difficulty (recommended a couple person to dial back their compounds as they had to do the herculean over-the-head draw)

Why do they need N. American deer. They have their own cervids there, reindeer, roe deer, red deer, and musk deer. Unless they are setting up a zoo of N. American animals. Seems like a waste of their money and our deer.

The federal government set up a single 1st Amendment area for people protest from. I do not recall the specifics, but was a fixed size and location. So they were telling people where they can protest on federal public land that is open to all. That is an infringement on the 1st Amendment. I could understand if there was a corridor that needed to be open for the cattle to pass through, but that is not what government did or stated they were setting up. This is way it was brought up all over. It was not just the grazing on public land.

Only spotted one small flock with 3 toms strutting a week ago near Harriman State park. Haven't seen them since. Probably will get report from my wife later that the others are hanging out by the synagogue and pre-school playground again this year. She only is at the pre-school part time this year, so haven' heard much lately. Hope to check a few places this weekend.

We have a faster process for apple sauce. wash the apples and cook them whole. put cooked apples in an hand-crank grinder that pushes the sauce through a strainer. The skin and seeds come out the end. It is something like this: https://www.lehmans.com/p-876-roma-food-mill.aspx In 3 hours we had 16 quarts of apple sauce ready for canning. Turned some of it into apple butter. Parents have the apple trees and hand-crank peeler. We just wait for the pies to be made. Less mess at my house.

Wife's Italian grandmother always had lasagna at Thanksgiving as a side dish. She said it was a family tradition to continue. One Thanksgiving after after she passed on, my mother-in-law was not feeling well and skipped making the lasagna. That is the only year that we had burned turkey and burned stuffing. There two people assisting in the kitchen as usual too. Since then the lasagna is made and the turkey is always perfect. Apparently she checks in an lets us know she was displeased.

May depend on the stock type (collapsible or fixed), if it still has a bayonet lug, and rounds it holds, or size of detachable box magazine. The paratrooper/airbourne version had a collapsible stock. If it is the M-1 Garand and the bayonet lug is gone, I think you are Ok. If it is a M-1 carbine, that detachable box magazine and a bayonet lug may put it in the "evil" list. I can not say for certain, you should check the listing of so called, assault features for a semi-auto. http://www.governor.ny.gov/nysafeact/gun-reform

How would they know, if they are handed down from someone deceased 20-30 years ago and they were handed down pre-deceased so not in a will. How would they know, if you never purchase ammo in this state or purchased any ammo in the past few years? If you have a friend or family member that is out state that reloads for you, have would they track that? Especially nothing is shipped to you or on your credit card. Persons using the same caliber may buy in larger bulk to reduce their total costs. One person could be placing the order on their card and everyone pays the purchaser their share. They get together and make the needed rounds as a working social event. Not saying that any of this applies to me, but I can see these things happening. I only get to hunt occasionally and never go to a range, so my ammo usage is quite low - good luck knowing what I have by my ammo purchases. Besides, for now I have nothing that requires registration. Still the law is a bad law and should be ruled as unconstitutional. Even the method of its passing was illegal in my book. If most does not take effect for a year from when written, then how much of an emergency was it?

I think we need to send the idiots in the state assembly to Texas or Vegas to see how real assault weapons work on full auto and then how a semi-auto works. (on their dime of course, not our tax dollars). Then send them to a three-clay shoot that is automated and hand them a single-shot gun and say they have to get all three clays. Then show them the size of a quail and say that is for a dinner for four. How many could you get in 5-10 seconds that they are in range. They have no idea what they are doing when writing or voting on these laws. If the guns were the real problem, there would be hundreds to thousands of shootings/murders everyday across the whole state. It is the select few who are the problem. More are killed by cars/trucks everyday then by a gun. You can be killed with a No.2 pencil. Should those be banned?

Target shot re-curve and long bow. Shot with beads sights on 4-5 shotguns, all had fixed chokes. Shot with open sights on rifle. I have only taken only a couple shots on a scoped rifle. Used a hammer single-shot shotgun for a couple years when starting hunting as a teen in the 80's. Shot a couple of 1930'/40's SXS shotguns. I my dad is scaling back his hunting seasons, so I may be trying out his traditional muzzle-loader soon (wood stock, octagon barrel, uses caps, and have to fire it to unload[no breach plugs]) Don't think I am old yet, but ask a teenager and might get a different response. LOL

Look at Fort Hood - no weapons allowed on military base, except to MP's & security staff. Still had a shooting via a personally owned handgun (not an AR [armalite rifle] or an actual assault weapon). Just shows how the law banning something really works for those intending to break them. Even if the worst happens and they manage to ban all guns in civilian hands, the career criminals and gangs will still be armed and running rampant everywhere. Then need more funds to train and hire more police, purchase more police cars, build/expand hospitals, hire doctors, nurses, and ER staff. As a result taxes go up even more. Tell those who live off the land and have to deal with grizzly bears roaming around their home and taking out their cattle, sheep, and goats to turn in all their guns. Tell anyone who lives on our country's borders and have groups of illegals crossing their property to turn in their guns when help is not measured in minutes but hours away. Disarm the gem dealers, so they can be robbed constantly with no defense. The Second Amendment is there for all of us. If the 2nd goes, before you know it we will not have any rights left and now way to get them back.