escpen

I studied my property for several years before having it logged and made note of the best acorn producing oak trees that were in good locations for taking advantage of during hunting season. Those trees were marked as off-limits. I then marked the trees that I wanted taken, the paths I wanted them to follow (or create) to get to them, etc. so the property would work better for me after the logging was done. We haven't had an acorn crop in my area for the past couple of years (residual from gypsy moth infestation) but I'm hoping my approach pays off ... still (hopefully) have acorns when there is a crop yet also getting light to the ground to promote new growth and browse.

Those steak bakes are a hit, especially in the winter when there’s not much else to do outside.

It sure is convenient for me - only a couple miles away. My kids have certainly enjoyed it, as well.

Not too far away from you, but a little bit of a hike - Pompey Rod & Gun Club is where I go for muzzleloader, centerfire, and pistol shooting.

I’ve had hot dogs from log city meats (Dundee) and Wilson’s Beef Farm (Canaseraga). Both are quite tasty.

Older bucks seem to be locked down with does in 8P/8R. I have seen some younger bucks out cruising, but the bigger guys aren't visible (even on camera, overnight, etc.).

Not a whitetail? So the referenced articles are inaccurate? If so, that's really terrible. I appreciate you entertaining my questions - you are uniquely positioned to share a different perspective than most and, in the spirit of continuous learning, I can personally benefit by having some insight into that perspective.

What narrative do you think is trying to be pushed and what part of the article shouldn't be believed? It's good, in my opinion, that folks livelihoods aren't at stake as might be the case with total depopulations. So it would be better to not have the prion on the landscape to begin with then, right? I listened to an interesting podcast on this topic - the HUNTR podcast had Dr. Chris Seabury on to talk about the genetic testing he and his research team have done at Texas A&M on CWD "resistant" deer. That guy really seems to know his stuff. I think he mentioned that Scrapies and CWD are similar (both misfolded prions), but also slightly different based on the species they impact (could be misremembering that, though). I believe Oklahoma is actually releasing "resistant" farm-raised deer into their wild herd to help combat the long-term impacts (perceived or real - I'm not going to judge) of CWD. Federal funding for CWD research is being cut? In captive herds? They are certainly testing for it in the wild herds, but I believe it is a voluntary program. A buddy of mine hunts Wisconsin every year, took a good buck last year, and it tested positive for CWD. He was a bit bummed to not be able to use the meat (his choice - wasn't worth the risk, however small, of exposing his family), but will certainly continue to hunt there. Back to my original question - is your facility impacted in any way by this? Increase in testing, maybe? Has a test for live animals been developed or is it still only able to be done after an animal has died?

Is it anywhere close to the facility you are associated with? This article suggests Jefferson County, Watertown area ... https://www.outdoornews.com/2024/10/28/cwd-discovered-in-whitetail-at-jefferson-county-facility-in-new-york/ What does the state do with the other animals in a facility with confirmed CWD?

I was able to download a PDF file from the DEC website. I can print it as many times as I want, as long as I have access to a printer. Some people say that cheaters are going to cheat regardless of the situation. But I bet this change will make it more tempting for some to dabble on the wrong side of the law / regulations. I have a computer - no printer.

New York was one of the few states that required a back tag, but only in the Southern Zone (Northen Zone and Catskill Park did not require back tags). It's unclear to me why there were differences between Northern and Southern Zone and it never made any sense to me. I'm glad to see New York "catching up" with other states, but, like most others, it never really bothered me to wear a back tag. I did find it annoying when it scraped against the tree when shifting around in my treestand but, otherwise, it was never a big deal.

Pompey Rod & Gun Club isn't too far away - about 30 minutes to the North or so. I'm only a couple miles away but didn't take advantage of this hidden gem until a couple of years ago. I'm there pretty regularly now with my kids shooting pistols, muzzleloaders, rifles, etc. They are planning to add a dedicated pistol range sometime this year, I believe. $50/year for a family membership.

I was in the path of totality for an eclipse in 2017 - it was definitely not 100% dark, but very dusk-like. Birds quit chirping, night-time insects started making their noises, etc. It was a cool experience.

I'd think not - no hair / tissue remnants and too much discoloration (green) to be from this year, IMO.

I run a bunch of cameras in the fall (25 or so) but only keep 2 of them out all year. Those 2 cameras are cell cameras that are strategically placed to monitor my property for trespassers, etc. So more of a security use case in the off-season.