steve863

Goodness, you want to pay $2000 for a camping knife?? Never heard of this brand but I took a look at the link and I've seen way nicer custom made knives for WAY less money. Anyway, you surely DON'T need to pay big money for a camping knife. Lots of brands out there that will get the job done for not much money. Kabar is surely good and even the Swedish knives by Mora don't cost much at all yet will get the job done for camping type work. Camping type work can be tough on any knife. I would imagine that breaking a $2000 knife would ruin ones camping trip pretty quick.

Yeah, and you got to love his comment on an earlier email that "he would throw anyone out on his ass" for promoting another site. I've got some news for him. Obviously the powers to be here seem to tolerate his condescending tone and other general nonsense but if it were up to a real vote of many others here he'd be the first one who'd get thrown out on his ass. I can assure him of that.

I've seen bucks with their antlers well into March. Many keep saying that bucks have already shed by the new "family" hunt week between Christmas and New Year thus they are against the season. Yeah, maybe a few have but I think the majority of bucks still carry them for a good while after that.

At least one of the old timers here admits that this place is doomed. The few other regulars keep telling us that it's thriving and better than ever. LOL

All I know is that if you put out food for ANY animal they won't stray far and will keep coming back. Is that sound management for deer or is it simply to keep the deer on your own land in hopes that they don't stray off to your neighbors land? I think the answer is quite obvious. Wild animals should be left to fend for themselves and not be coaxed to stay in one location. If food plots grown specifically for deer isn't baiting I don't know what is. Of course plenty will try to argue that it isn't but they can keep talking if they want. Yeah, hunting has changed a hell of a lot in the past 50 years. Not sure if it's all for the better, however.

Again, hard to know from the picture but I would say that shot is borderline at best. If I was to try to anchor a deer with a shoulder shot it would surely be several inches higher than that. See photo for example of the front leg in comparison to vitals. But it is what it is, the situation has come to a conclusion,

Maybe it's just the photo but that shot looks a bit low on the leg and don't know if it would have reached the vitals even if it went through the leg. No way of knowing for sure but anyway, why are you using a shotgun in a rifle area? Way better accuracy, distance and pretty much everything else with a rifle over a shotgun slug. Tell Santa to bring you a rifle this Christmas.

Good job being persistant and finding her. At least you have some closure on it all.

My hat off to you for putting in the hours to look for it. Although if you put in some time to practice shooting it would be less likely that you'd be needing to spend hours looking for a wounded animal. Get yourself a decent .22 with a scope to replicate the firearm you hunt deer with and put up a miniature target of a deer. If you can hit the vital area at distances up to 50 yards in the different hunting stances that you would be taking while actually hunting and it will do wonders for you. You live where you hunt so you can just step outside and practice. No need to travel to a range and waste too much time or money. Believe me, it will improve your shooting tremendously. My .02 cents on the matter.

I don't know. No offense, and I will probably get ripped for this but I think you guys really need to learn how to shoot better. I've followed your posts for years now and it seems that every season you or someone in your group is following blood trails half way around your county. The goal should be shoot and drop them on the spot if not within sight. I know it doesn't always work out that way but it should in most cases. I don't consider myself the greatest shot in the world but it's been a good long while since I've had a deer go out of sight after I put a bullet through it. Again no offense but just my observation of your posts.

How about Vermont? Not as far from Albany as PA would be. Bennington is like 40 miles away. There's got to be a Walmart in that town. I can't imagine they have any restrictions on buying ammo. At least nothing close to NYS.

I find it amazing how many deer hunters there are who have never even hunted from the ground. They think tree stands are the only way to hunt them. To each their own I guess. Many tree stand hunters will tell you that if you follow safety rules you'll be fine and never have a fall. I've always been of the frame of mind that if you hunt long enough you'll surely have at least a close call or two. Hopefully it will only be a close call and nothing worse. At this stage of my life I'll keep my feet on the ground. I can still fall on my face if I trip over something but it won't be nearly as bad as falling from a tree.

I used to hunt from tree stands but as I got older it became more apparent how unsafe it is. No deer is worth it. I know I've missed seeing deer hunting from the ground but so be it. At least I know I won't be another statistic like in the link below. https://www.syracuse.com/state/2024/11/buffalo-mayors-brother-killed-in-hunting-accident.html