philoshop

Sorry Doc, but I have to disagree. A trained professional knowingly entering a hostile situation is very different from a guy rolling out of bed after hearing a noise in the house. My point is and has been, train hard with the gun of your choice and be comfortable and confident with it. And hope you never have to use it in the circumstances we're discussing.

Bigger is always better, as far as holes in your opponent go. I really wish I hadn't sold my .45 gold cup years ago. That would be my HD gun right now in a heartbeat. Alas. Not sure it's a matter of being able to 'handle it'. Much more about being proficient with it.

Lots of good info and good debates out there regarding the issue(s) of HD. Plenty of experts. The one thing that all of the experts will agree on: an individual has to be very comfortable and very familiar with the tactics and equipment they intend to utilize to defend their property and loved ones. The gun that sits loaded on my desk, two steps from my bed, is a Ruger Mark I .22 that I've put well over 100K rounds through over the 30+ years that I've owned it. Not much stopping power but I practice regularly and I can hit with it. OTOH, there's also a short, light youth model 20-Ga single-shot with #3 buckshot that sits halfway between the bed the pistol. Most of the time shouting, "I HAVE A GUN!!" will deter an intruder. If shouting doesn't work: be familiar with your weapon, make sure he's inside you're house and facing you, hit your target with intent to kill, and make sure that you kill him. This from numerous friends in LE. No Castle doctrine in NYS. If you don't intend to kill the intruder, don't worry about even having a gun. Just shout that you have one. Otherwise, be good with the gun you have and hit what you aim for.

T/C contender in 45-70. Bambi candy. Not a lot of fun at the range, but I think the muzzle blast alone killed a doe at close range a few years back. Might have taken out a couple of small birds in the tree above me as well. Don't shoot one sitting under a pine tree loaded with cones. Wish I hadn't sold that barrel.

If it's just a few holes, they're only testing. If it gets to be lots and lots of holes, the tree is most likely infected with insects and it's probably on it's way out anyway and you might as well let 'em eat their fill. Seriously, the birds won't normally do much damage with a few test holes in a healthy tree. They're looking for bugs under the bark. If the bark is tight on the tree there's no dinner there and they'll move on. Old apple trees can be pretty tough, and can tolerate a fair amount of stress from birds, bugs and gnawing animals, depending on what you expect from the fruit. Be gentle with the pruning, and as long as it's producing fruit and only for feeding the deer, don't fuss with it too much.

Why in the world is/was he ever given a voice in the politics of this country??? If he's the best the constitutional opposition has to offer, I think he should be allowed to stay. Fish in a barrel.

I built an 11' canoe to get into nasty, inaccessible spots for hunting and fishing. Weighs 23#. Ah, to be young again! Had a lot of fun with that! I still have the canoe if anyone's interested?

Thanks for posting that! Kinda puts things in perspective.

Never heard of cow molestation before, but they say the sheep are nervous.

Not necessarily buck fever, more like deer fever. I have a hard time drawing the bow on a deer. On more than one occasion, I was simply unable to draw at all. It's like my body just forgets how to use the back muscles. I deal with the bursitis and arthritis I have by shooting frequently during the off-season to stay in shape, with the bow set at 60#. A couple of weeks before the season I back it off to around 50# because I know that being cold and/or stiff from sitting is going to be a problem for me. The draw feels like nothing to me just before the season. Once the bow is drawn I'm fine, but I've missed opportunities on a couple of nice bucks because of this. Am I alone?

Sounds like a woodpecker. Unless they go all the way around the trunk it probably won't hurt anything. If they really go crazy on it, the tree is probably already dying and infested with insects under the loose bark.

Hit the thick bedding areas and use the glasses to check all the nooks and crannies. For every one I've found in fields and on edges, I've found another 5 or 6 in the thick stuff. Rain is knocking down the snow around here right now, so I'll be out this weekend. Pics to follow, hopefully. Good luck everyone!

To the OP, take the high-percentage shot, always. That means the heart-lung area. Gun or bow. When things go wrong in the field, not if but when, you've still got a chance. And aim at the inside of the deer rather than a spot on the hide. Keep those photos and renderings in mind while you're aiming. I took a buck two years ago that turned 90 degrees away from me just as I hit the release. The arrow hit just in front of the rear leg and took the long route into my aim point, the lungs. Until I found him and saw the arrow I was thinking it was a perfect broadside shot. 17 yards and he turned that fast on me. To the guys that want to shoot whitetails at 75+ yards with a bow, spend a summer shooting woodchucks at those ranges. Very similar critters with similar kill-zones and they'll get your adrenaline up to realistic levels. Butts and 3-d targets don't count for much when your heart's thumpin' and your knees are knockin'.

Very good news.

Contact someone like BudsGuns. They're good people, and you should be able to work out an equitable trade for something you can use here. You'll have to go through an FFL no matter how you sell it. Might as well get the most out of it. BTW, thank you for your service.

There is a very good chance that one of these bills will pass. Highly organized and well-funded support is pushing hard against a basic lack of oppositional awareness of the issue. The anti's will not stop pushing at every little crack they think they can exploit. An unarmed populace is the ultimate goal for a number of states and they're succeeding at an alarming tempo.

A drop or two of mineral oil on a q-tip, rubbed around the rim of the plug. Let it sit and weep down in for a couple of hours. Then make sure you have a good grip on the plug and the rangefinder and it should break free. I like the snap ring pliers idea, but you need to break the bond first. Plastic to plastic bonds can be tough after a few years. Whatever you use to loosen it, less is more. Unless you really want a new rangefinder.

6' back-blade and bucket on the Kubota. I get enough exercise on the job.

Usually as long as the tag is properly filled out before-hand and kept with you, dragging or hauling by any means w/o the tag attached will be acceptable, until you reach a place where the carcass tag is not likely to be damaged by said dragging or hauling. This has been my experience. Other areas may be different.

My wood stacks are holding out and the freezer's full of meat. If the freezer gets low, I've eaten groundhog before!

Prosecutors are, by nature, political animals. "Conservation of resources" in their offices means they will prosecute with full resources only those cases most likely to end in a conviction. The political atmosphere in NY pretty much guarantees that 'hate crime' charges will not be leveled against someone who is not white. Too much political opposition for them to even go there. FWIW this was related to me by an assistant district attorney, who happens to be black, and a hell of a sax player, that I played in a couple of bands with. A great guy, and it pi***d him off as much as it did me.

This was brought to my attention a few years ago via Mike Bellm's web site. bellmtcs.com. I have no affiliation with either his site or the creator of this video link. Just a good refresher course regarding our government. My apologies if it's been posted here before. http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/

All over this country there are people who's only job is to figure out ways to circumvent that pesky thing we call the Constitution. Pick an amendment, I can assure you that someone, somewhere is thinking it stands in the way of their agenda. The second is currently a hot one, but speech, assembly and even religion are getting attention from the work-around crews.

Clearing a path on a seasonal road probably won't get you into trouble. Clearing the road, not so good, as others have said. Liabilty issues with the folks who drive but don't think.

One place I used to frequent advertised them as "chicken dinners, 3 for a dollar".