Two Track

Welcome aboard. Stay safe (hunting and while afoot) out there. wet leaves on a wet rock sometimes = fall on to your ___. Same can happen on in the snow when your boot treads are full of the white stuff while stepping down smooth rock on a slope. Good luck out there.

One article on the California protests said it started with high school students walking out and going to a college campus and got them to walk out too. Supposedly, some the students were children of illegals and came here illegally themselves with their parents. i don't recall peaceful assembly including setting trash on fire and damaging police cars. Obviously they didn't listen in History (now called Global Studies) class about Dr. King, Ghandi, ... Maybe they studied the Black Panthers instead. I would have been on the receiving end of my dad's belt for doing crap like that. No respect these days. My kids know better and aren't happy about persons who do this crap either.

An Indian Point freak ... Or a possum crossed with a deer.

Some people look at this as a popularity contest, who is the nicest, vote by party, or let's put in the first female president - I look at who is the better person to get the job done. There is no perfect person to be President (even Pres. Kennedy who shared Marilyn Monroe with his brother Robert, had some issues). If a person who is running has been involved in so many scandals since the 80's, it leads me to think not very trustworthy. Witness dying off don't help the situation. There were some better choices in temperament earlier in the race (in both parties), but we have to pick from what is left. If you don't vote, you shouldn't complain about who ends up elected, as you did not allow you voice to be heard in the process to try to get your preferred (or lesser of two evils, if that is how you feel) candidate elected. The more people who refrain from voting changes odds for those who do, to swing the election one way or another. If you think your vote doesn't count and 1 million others feel the same way and you all don't vote, that could have changed the election. So please exercise your rights as a citizen and vote. And remember our political views may vary, but we all have a common interest in the great outdoors, hunting, and fishing.

Hope my vote gets counted - scanner for reading/tallying votes was broken by 8:00 am and they were collecting ballots in a lock box. Wife went in later with our son who came home from college to make sure his ballot gets counted and the scanner was working intermittently. Previously collected ballots had not been scanned in by noon. (scan tally was about 80 short of what voter count was). My son has been telling us about how liberal most of students he meets are and they don't really see what those repercussions are. More government handouts = more taxes or raising taxes at all levels of government (local -> State -> Federal).

I just had a flashback... it was the eighties

Sure would... After racing around to the side of the woods and heading it off at the other end to get a proper shot. If someplace that i can't do that I would take a shot with my camera. You know... for proof it does exist. Ever since I had no witness for the the nice bass I caught and forgot the camera (pre-camera-phone days), I carry a small camera. I don't shoot at the back 1/3 of deer or the tail end - never have or will. Miss a shot - well first year that I had deer come by me I shot the same tree 4-5 times and missed 6 deer in the excitment of having so may deer coming by me I couldn't focus down the bead sights. That afternoon had to go buy another box of slugs after lunch. Didn't see another deer during season for two years, but that one was one shot and go drag her out.

In general I see more hunters now than 20 years ago. Now take it with a grain of salt, 20 years ago I was on family property - it would be myself, my dad, sometimes my uncle, or one of my dad's cousins, or a couple close family friends. That farm has been sold off, and now I am on public land and have move to NY. Back then would see 10-15 trucks at deer check-in stations with a couple hunters each and at least 1 deer in each one. About 2 weeks ago, there were more spots open than usual at Stewart for Turkey/Pheasant hunting. I was surprised at that. Seemed like less people also around Indian Hill area for the turkey opener and very few trucks around in the bow-only areas for deer hunting. There were a couple times last year at Pochuck Mt. that I was the only one, or one of two in the 2d half of deer season. The opener was crazy - cars/trucks were out the parking area and along the road. With prices going up (ammo, gear, gas), it may also be causing less to go out to hunt, or to reduce the number of days to go out to hunt. Could be some hunters are now working 2-3 part-time jobs having lost a full-time job. We lost a hunter in the family to go away to college, thought had another, but they are not getting up in the morning to go out...

Steuben is flat - should go where I grew up, highest point above sea level in the county was 32 feet. The local joke was that half the county was gone at high-tide.

The pic says it. My grandfather's best friend, Ernie called me two track when i was about 3 since I had a fascination with trains. He called me that til the day he died. The family also picked that up and will toss that out when I was doing anything train related. I keep telling my son that when he moves out after college I am turning his bedroom into a combo of library and train room - the wife says craft room. Need space for that too to paint up new buildings and repair the old ones from childhood. I did get the wife interested in assembling and painting buildings for my train set - so I will have help (and she even mixes her own custom colors). Plus the other meaning of how it sounds - every time I walked a field with my dad or grandfather, we looked for deer tracks.

I only hunted at Indian Hill in Sterling Forest for Pheasant. Last year, never found or heard any, and the fields there there are getting very overgrown with briars and blackberry (so yes there are bears there too). Have gotten a couple birds there in the past. Never tried Laurel Meadows. FYI, I solo hunt without a bird-dog, but I did meet up with another hunter last year and we found nothing with his dog running through there. With Sterling Forest trying an early small game season this year(trial basis) in that area, perhaps it will be stocked this year.

that is a few nice birds. Isn't tempting to accidentally hit one with car because you hit the gas pedal and didn't turn the wheel fast enough to avoid going onto the neighbor's yard? I once had one sitting on the trunk of my car in the driveway, in town about 8 years ago. The only safer spot my wife has seen them is the flock (plus a few deer) that move between a synagogue, catholic church with a school attached, and the golf course. They are living the life - go to a place of worship, school for an education, and then relax on a golf course. What a life that flock has.

Never took a shot in the rain, just came home soaked. Especially the time I stayed out during turkey season about 1 mile or so from the car. That was one long hike back. My pants had apparently lost their water-resistance and got heavier the closer I got back to the car. I don't mind light rain or misty weather, Its good cover to move around quietly. That also when I tend to see the most turkeys (of course mostly hens during Spring, or while deer hunting in Fall). When it is cold and very rainy, I stay somewhere warm and dry until it lets up, or the wife makes other plans for me. My dad a left me up in a ladder stand in the rain one season until he was ready to call it quits. I thought I was going to slide right off the rungs while climbing down. Since then I don't use a stand in the rain or very windy days.

I got Johnny Unitas autograph - met him on a school trip to the Baltimore Aquarium. Reggie Jackson and Tim Stoddard played in a basketball game vs, the school faculty. Of course the Orioles beat the school staff. But it was a fun game to watch. Back in college, I did perform at Veterans' stadium and hung out in the Phillies dug out - It was quite cold out during the Eagles game sitting on the side line. We performed the half-time show. Never met any of the players, as we were restrict to a small portion of the sidelines. My grandmother went to school with Robert Mitchum - in a one-room schoolhouse. Many years ago, my dad got up in a restaurant and walked right into (and I mean physically collided with) the biggest guy in wrestling - Andre the Giant. He told me Andre was a very nice guy in person.

it's not bad. My sister-in-law (well at the time, to-be-in-law) had it at her engagement party/BBQ. She has a couple sisters, they and their mother like to knock back some wine occasionally at gatherings. It was the closest cold drink at hand at the time, as the ice was not in coolers for the other drinks yet.and we were assisting at finishing getting everything setup. There was a gallon or two of it already made on the table. Had to tell the kids it was special punch just for the adults. Now, if Rockspec is taking orders, I'll take some ribs, a lobster tail with butter sauce, and an ear of corn.

1st week of Turkey season or deer gun season - none of the 2-3 I have been in. Mid-week of the second week things open up a bit, but the weekends are still busy until the final week-end.

I think her bag was too much to carry causing her to bring up the rear and she was trying to take a break. So.. nothing to see here, move along.

Don't bobcats usually have a tuft of fur standing up off their ears, or am i picturing a Lynx in my mind? I have yet to see one that is not in a zoo, and it been awhile since I have seen one in the zoo. Height is about right to be a full-grown adult from what I have read on them. Being so close to the lens, it is hard to determine exact coloring or any patterns to help. Hopefully someone else can be more helpful.

Guess you really had a hard time passing them. Too bad the that traffic was sooo terrible to be stuck following.

So close to getting proof of the jack-a-lope migrating to NY... Could be a lot of things - deer, fox, coyote, maybe even a squirrel hanging on the camera box/tree and looking to the side. How high is the camera off the ground?

I have been itching to get out there too. I took a walk yesterday after work. I was frustrated with my work day, so it helped me de-stress getting out there. Lots of squirrels, gray and black, and the chipmunks running around. Acorns were dropping while squirrels jumped tree to tree. Was looking for turkey to see if they made it and looking for deer sign to figure out where to set up for when the season starts up. Trails are still in use, but no feathers or distinguishable prints in the area I was in. Squirrels didn't mind the pellet gun (a nitro-piston powered one) go pop, so i will be taking that with me for when they get annoying while sitting out there. It weighs as much as the rifle I had over my shoulder in case the bear came by like he did in the Spring (twice in 30 minutes). Good thing the wife didn't try to call me. That was the one major thing I left at home - my phone. Oops. Well, I did have my radio, and the only other person out there was biker on his way out, when I was heading in.

Where my dad lives salt licks are legal to put out something like 30 or 60 days before season, but you can't hunt directly over them. Otherwise no baiting (corn, apples, etc) If you think that is odd, there is no hunting on Sundays (or buying alcohol), but you can fish on a Sunday while drinking the beer you bought on Saturday (as long as you are not driving [car or boat]) there. Just don't confess that is why you missed Sunday morning service. You could be admonished for it, or be asked "take me with you next Saturday".

Monore-Woodbury schools have issues with anything that is weapon related these days - no pictures, drawings, cartoons that look like any type of weapon (firearm, blade, or bow) is allowed in school. Here is the irony, they do have archery classes for the girls and the mascot..... is a Crusader, commonly shown carrying a lance. For art classes (various types including: photography, film, painting ceramics, etc) the are pictures of deer skulls, and art pieces based around deer skulls/antlers. Did they just happen to find a few intact skulls with antlers attached laying around? Wonder if they are going to remove pictures/drawings from the history books next? Or ban coins or monetary bills that have the Great Seal on it (the eagle is carrying arrows)? There is some great stupidity with this whole scenario. So my kids do not mention hunting, or the fact that there even is a gun in the house. A few select non-family members know, plus the neighbor watching me clean pheasants, and the one seeing me pack up the car and carrying a gun case(he doesn't mind, he's packing a 9mm and badge himself).

You put out those free cases of beer in the Spring when the coeds get a week off from college. Wait... wrong thread.

The Firing Line in Pearl River, use to rent guns for their indoor target range. Not sure if they are still in business. If they are, the entrance is a little odd to find, it is a side-door by Dollar General that goes into the basement. Not sure about renting but Davis Sports in Goshen, NY has a range for pistol-shotgun-rifle up to 100 yards. They sell new and used firearms. If you plan on hunting just deer and bear, rifle is fine. but if thinking about small game and/or birds too, then you need a shotgun. You can get a single-shot combo (one rifled barrel and one smooth bore) where you just swap out the barrel, use same the same stock. A good rifled bull-barrel 20 ga. magnum with a scope can shoot 120 yards accurately. Note: bull barrel is heavier, but reduces the recoil. My dad has dropped many deer with his H&R 20 ga. mag. single-shot shotgun. Most were 80-140 yards out.