Caveman

I better not catch you in my spot lol. I may leave a little earlier tomorrow just in case

I had mine done last February. The day of the surgery my vision was tested at 20/1000, legally blind. After the most nerve wracking 10 minutes of my life and a day of rest I drove myself to the followup appointment the following day and my vision was tested at 20/15, better than perfect. If you have the money I would highly recommend it. Mine was $3000 and the place that did it specializes in the all-laser (bladeless) version. If you're located near Buffalo I would highly recommend Atwol eye associates in Cheektowaga.

I processed my own deer last year, I didn't really know what I was doing, it took a long time and wasn't pretty. Now my gf instituted a "no dead animals in the house" rule so I dropped my deer today off at the butcher. I have less to worry about with problems though, my father went to high school with the brothers that own it and they get great reviews as far as using all the meat they can, and giving you back your own deer. When I think about it the 60 bucks is worth the time I save.

I forgot to add it was state land

Went out this morning to East Otto State Forest. Jumped about 4 on the way to my stand and figured my day was over in that spot. Settled in around 630 and watched the sun come up. After an hour and a half false alarms hearing the squirrels jump around I heard footsteps coming through the trees behind me, looked over my shoulder and saw what I thought was a 4 pt walking by at what I thought was 30 yards. I nocked an arrow, drew back, and let it fly right over his back. He jumped up and ran about 20 yards but stopped when I blew the grunt. He wandered back into range on my second grunt. This time I settled the 20 yard pin behind his shoulder and let another fly. I heard the "thwack" I've only heard on tv and knew I hit something. I climbed down to find bright red blood on the leaves, thinking it was a good lung hit I sat for a half hour and took up the trail. It was heavy and tracking was easy until 40 yards along I found my arrow covered in chunks of green stuff and I knew I had a gut shot on my hands. I backed off, packed up my climber, and took it to the car and grabbed a coffee at the gas station to pass the time. I moved back in and took up the trail again. It was thick and bright, I figured the tracking would be easy but before I knew it I was on my hands and knees finding one or two drops every 15 yds. Right at the road the trail went completely cold. I checked by the two ponds in the thickets, I was starting to feel sick thinking I'd lose the deer. On my way out i decided to walk through a field of tall grass I had found and there he was, bedded down too weak to get up. I put one more in him and I felt so bad at hearing him gurgle that I put one more in him and he died. This was my second deer ever, my first with a bow, and my first with antlers. They may be small but he's a trophy to me. I'm going to do a European mount in honor of my first buck.

I may see you there. Ill be there this wednesday, thursday and friday

South of Traffic St between the thick pines and the cornfield as you enter from the east.

Woke up at five pissed that I had to be at work on opening day, midway through our first call all hell broke loose with the weather and kept up until I left at 1900. I was actually pretty happy I didn't waste a call-in to hunt in that crap.

I keep her happy on anniversaries, birthdays, and valentine's day. Sweetest day is a load of crap invented by greeting card companies. She knows how I feel and has accepted it too lol.

BLASPHEMY!

Doc I can understand your frustration at having to share a hunting spot with non-hunters but at the same time you seem almost too hostile, like anyone using state land for anything other than hunting is doing something wrong. Keep in mind in a time when you can't pry people away from electronic media more people enjoying the outdoors is not necessarily a bad thing. Also their tax money to maintain the land is just as green as ours.

Anyone ever use the incense style scents? You can see them here: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Tinks174-Smokin-Scent-Sticks/745935.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DTinks%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=Tinks&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products (Wow that's a long URL) I've got a buddy where I used to hunt in Albany that absolutely swears by them. I just ordered some and I'm hoping I didn't wast 20 bucks.

Well they just gave me a new assignment at work so I went from having the opening three days off to having to work 7am-7pm both saturday and sunday. Doesn't the season open sunday anyway?

I'm in the same boat. I'm an EMT so i'm in the business of hurrying up and waiting. I find myself scouring this site in my down time. Even worse now that we're within a week. I'm actually typing this response from my phone in the ER at the hospital lol

Last year when I was in college I used to read for my classes on stand, now I'll probably just screw around on my phone when things slow down.

I have two extra stands to hang on state land now that my private land fell through this fall. The problem is I haven't scouted the state land I now have to hunt aside from what I've seen while squirrel hunting. I found a place where some thick pines and near perfect bedding area are separated from a corn field by about fifty yards of hardwoods. Also another place where the backside of that bedding area is within reach of an overgrown orchard. On paper this set-up sounds pretty good except these two areas are some of the most accessible areas in the forest and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's found it. So my question is should I set up here and hope for the best or sacrifice the first few days of bow season to expedited scouting and try to find somewhere a little more off the grid?

I usually stop around a week prior to opening of bow and I keep it through february or so. This year I have a job which requires that I shave so the fun's over.

What gets me is that the penalty for poaching is usually a loss of hunting privileges. Clearly the person didn't care about breaking the law in the first place so why would that phase them. It's like when the penalty for driving with a suspended license is to have your license revoked. Doesn't make sense.

Well I got the classic "We'll send someone out to investigate" so I texted my cousin too and hoped he was working that day lol

There was a bullet hole clear as day right in the vitals. Plus finding four deer in two years under the same circumstances is a little too coincidental to all be vehicle collisions.

Did a little squirrel hunting in East Otto state forest after practicing with the bow today. Came across a large bodied deer carcass about 100 yards off the road with the head lopped off. It couldn't have been too long ago since the yotes hadn't gotten to it yet. I called the tip line and met my cousin (the zone supervisor for the forest rangers) out at the road and led him to the carcass. He said it was sad but it was the second one in as many weeks in that area. They think it's the same group that did it twice last year up the road a ways. Freaking poachers make me sick. Not only do they break the law and steal from all of us, but they leave the meat to rot.

Last year I was in an apartment in a rural area outside albany with a driveway 45 yards long and woods as a backstop. Needless to say I shot a lot. I haven't gotten out much this year though since this june I moved to an apartment in the city of Buffalo so shooting is generally frowned upon...unless you're speeding by in an escalade shooting out the window, then you fit right in lol. I practice out to fifty and sixty depending on wind and how adventurous I'm feeling. In a hunting situation though I don't shoot past 30. I just don't feel comfortable enough to risk a wounded deer.

May have had a tripod set up self-filming

9m, private land in Machias, e-ville, and East Otto state forest

I took my bow out today to make the final adjustments before the season starts. Shot an arrow w/ a field point at 30 yards...dead on. Shot a broadhead next to make sure no planing etc, shaved the fletching off the first arrow. Can't wait until it's a deer instead of a bag target.