Fantail

Ladder stand stolen. Lock & chain / Cut.

Recent thread in the Gun hunting section - a few posts about Ithaca Deerslayers reminded me about an old hunter I once knew. His name was "Jim". Don't recall the last name. About 10 years past I shared a lease in Wayne Co. Off an old farm. Well of course there was neigboring property - woods. For a few years running durring reg season I'd hear this unique shotgun roar. But it was only 1 shot, once a year. On one hunt close to the property border creeping up on lunch time and a snow storm comming in I ran into this guy, and we introduced ourselves. Jim, didn't appear to be a normal hunter. He wore a pair of dark cord pants, a plaid jacket and one of those Russian looking hats. He didn't believe in using camo. Well I invited him over to camp for fresh coffee and lunch. We had a decent conversation. Found out he served in Korea. But he didn't get into to many details about that. He didn't hunt Turkey or bother with small game. He never bothered with modern stands or climbers, the only blind he bothered with was a few made out of sticks & branches. He would just get into his section of woods, and once a year for the time being I'd hear that Ithaca go off, and knew Jim had his deer.

I do the orange hat thing to. Also have a reversable full face mask. When I'm on private property / lease in stand mainly for Bow season it's regular camo. State land / WMA I'll keep some orange on durring reg season. Especialy weekends. Except for the hat which is smaller and broken up a bit anyway the vest has a pattern. Something doesn't seem right to me about plain Blaze. Not the color or affect, but any larger block color seems like it could draw attention. When I'm on the ground I might tend to use more orange, up in a stand usually just the hat.

I plan to put 3-weeks of vacation time to work. I'm also reminded of the Alan Shephards Prayer.

I would imagine any deer scent used at the wrong time wouln't produce desired results. About the only scents I've had marginal success with are cover scents like raccoon / fox or doe wizz.

Brenneke's - Yes! But the supply is down to the last box for the 12g. I sight in @ 50 for the smoothbore.

I usually bring the piss bottle. But I don't panic if I forget it. I've taken some of my best bucks off WMA and I doubt to many people bottle it there.

Main slugger is a 12g M88 (ugmo) smoothbore. Son's 20 (Mossberg 500) shoots the Rem Buckhammers with suprisingly excellent groups.

One thing I do is make sure there's plenty of coffee. You know I'd look at the old 4 cup percolator and sometimes I'd think about the hundreds and hundreds of times I've used that thing. It's one of those things that might be a little dinged up but sure is great to have around. Some guys might have their favorite sharpening stone, a knife or even a hat they take along. It's not a matter of luck, just something that-you don't want to forget.

I'm using Muzzy MX-3 & Phantom MX heads. 100 grain. The phantom's are cut on contact and look bad ass. Didn't get to deliver one last year, but I plan to use them in this year. And they fly great.

[ Gut Pile? ] Well it was a sticker but still cool

Bob was my original instructor. source: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/cny_sportsman_robert_ripberger.html "Bob Ripberger, 89, in this photo, died Thursday. He's remembered by former students as a mentor and sportsman." Syracuse, NY - A Central New York sportsman who organized the first annual children’s fishing derby at Hiawatha Lake and was instrumental in establishing New York’s bow-hunting season died Thursday. Robert Ripberger, 92, a Carrier Corp. retiree who lived in Syracuse’s Valley section, passed away at Van Duyn Home and Hospital. Local conservationists said Ripberger will be remembered for the hours of hunting and fishing time he sacrificed to serve sporting and civic organizations. Steve Wowelko, one of the hundreds of students Ripberger taught during five decades as a hunter safety course instructor, called him “a true all-around sportsman.” “He was a mentor for me,” said Wowelko, who heads the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. “He spent his whole life volunteering. I don’t think there was a night when he did not have a board meeting for some organization.” After taking his first hunting and fishing trip to the Adirondacks in his 20s, Ripberger immersed himself in environmental organizations. His list of accomplishments includes organizing the Hiawatha Lake fishing derby more than 50 years ago and pushing state officials to reopen Onondaga Lake for catch-and-release fishing in 1987. In recent years, when he no longer had the strength to draw and shoot a traditional longbow or modern compound bow, Ripberger campaigned to make the crossbow a legal hunting implement. Friends remarked that his death came as state legislators are nearing consensus on a crossbow season — which Ripberger had promised to take part in, regardless of his age. “He said he was running into the same arguments as when he tried to establish the bow-hunting season,” Wowelko said. “It seems like it came full circle.” Ripberger’s lifelong efforts were rewarded in 2007 with the Environmental Quality Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A scholarship fund set up in November by the Friends of Carpenter’s Brook Hatchery to honor the work of Ripberger and his wife will continue his legacy. Ripberger is survived by his wife of 67 years, June. “He will be missed,” Wowelko said.

I'd like to try bear hunting some day. We get the tag - then why not? I dunno, logistics I guess. Last year I was in one of the 'extended' zones but there was never any bear sign. Have some property in 6k (Williamstown) but that's still a ways before any NZ bear zone. Perhaps an oppertunity will present itself this year.

I got skunked as well this year, it was good to get out and call a few times though. Did get this bird to come in but hang up, twice. Had to be the same one as it didn'tgobble at all, just dance. Last year I took a Tom on opening day and another on closeing weekend, that bird had 1 & 5/8" spurrs. This year seemed like the weather was way off. 2nd weekend was a complete washout so I didn't burn any extra vacation.

Nice pics! Clicking on them brings up the full size n/p. Might pic your brain a bit on plot advice later on.

Greetings; Live: Syracuse (Lyncourt) area. Hunt: 6K new lease in the Williamstown area. 7R near Dryden / Harford. 7M near New Woodstock / Eaton.

Whats the ATA on the Brute? Looks like a nice tree Bow.

Wonder if www.wheretoshoot.org might help you out.

SPS is an excellent rifle. Going with one would have saved a pound or so on carry weight and I would have to worry about scruffing up the finish. But the tiger wood on the VLS got to me.

Currently trying to justify the expense of a roto tiller. Another bow hunter friend of mine at work said I'm better off with a rear tine for breaking ground. But those puppies are some good cash. It would be for 1/4 acre plot on the new lease. Perhaps I'd be better off renting one for two days but then I'm up to 150 already.

What hunting for forum doesn't have one of these? I prefer about 17 to 18 feet normally in the climber. Kind of depends on the terrain. Maybe that's why I like the climber or climbing sticks and hang ons.

Doc; first, I apologize for chopping to quote a little bit. I understand your hesitation to settle on one rifle. A few years ago I was doing the exact same thing. And up until recently I hunted in Bow or Shotgun only areas. Settled on two different choices; quarter bore or 243 because I intended to do some coyote and varmint hunting. At the time I didn't know I was going to get into reloading and so I considered the availability of ammunition. The 243 was the logical choice. Well, I did get into reloading but the point is there's decent factory ammunition available. Yes the 243 doesn't have the knockdown power of a 270 or 308. But it does have more than enough energy and accuracy. Realistically, we all know other hunters are out there taking deer with 3030s, even lower recoil oil ammunition for 20 gauges. We can all discuss energy and ballistics til the horse dies but I might bet that a lot of people that say the 243 isn't a good deer rifle have never hunted deer with the 243. Or maybe there trying to find a way to justify what they spent on that 300 magnum. I reject what they say. Yet, to each his own. If rifle hunting is expanded to your county, not a whole lot will change. They did the same thing in Madison County so last year on opening day regular season I took the 243 up a tree so to say. Here are the results; .243 100gr Sierra gameking. 130 yards. 7 pnt. He hobbled about another 30 yards and dropped. Blood trail our Governor could follow.

Yes it absolutly can be. You wonder about what knifes and tools you'll need. Then you think about where to start and when does it end. I've been processing my own for about 15 years now. Alot of guys go nuts and spend tons of cash just on cutting tools. I'm here to say it's not nessesary. Aside from any bone cutting tools I can process a whole deer with a box cutter and maybe 2 replacement blades in about 4 hours. Very little goes to waist. I use a portable hand operated table grinder. I stick to loins, chops, flanks, misc for stews and the rest gets ground up. Most of the burger is in 2lb sealed bags. Roast chunks usualy wind up as chops because trying to seal up rounded meat is a PIA. I also have been known to do the ribs if I have the extra frezzer space or want a decent griller. Well, I'm leaving out alot of details but the best advice I might be able to offer is get someone that knows their way around processing deer, and ask to let you help them. Start off with a smaller deer maybe a doe. Don't expect to rush the job, and after a few deer it's like riding a bike. Learn how to care for the meat removed and keep it from contacting the fur if all possible. Be aware of where the blades are. And of course any possible lodged busted broadheads. Bones / busted or broken off can be extreemly sharp. It's all part of the real work that goes into hunting.

Bow hunting, is one of the best contacts with nature there is.

20 yard backyard range. I can use the driveway for up to 30. But 20 seems to be the norm. Elevated platfrom (shed roof), DIY target made from those foam blocks that will stop a broadhead. And a 3D deer target. I'll usually slab about a dozen shots then take a break due to wrist problems. So if I am tuning or just feel like picking up the Bow it's there, and so is the grill