PREDATE

I'm what's called a mycophagist, which is someone who eats fungi. I am still a novice and I've only been hunting them for 3-4 years. For me it's mostly about the hunt, which I often do with my older brother. We take on alot of hobbies together like mushrooms, metal detecting, bottle digging/collecting, arrowhead hunting, Etc. Those Oyster, Maitake, Porcini, and plain field mushrooms that can be bought fresh in the grocery store can also be found growing wild in NYS along with many others that aren't available from regular stores. There are also kits that you can buy to cultivate any kind of mushroom! Yumm

Good tip. They also make cooling neck wraps that cools your carotid arteries. Just keep one in your lunch cooler and use it often !

I found out the mushroom in the 2nd & 3rd pics are the rare Polyporus Umbellatus (AKA. umbrella polypore) and are a very choice edible. It was buggy so I didn't pick it, but they will likely emerge in the same spot for a few years!

Scents can attract the deer if you put it upwind/crosswind or it can act as a calming scent that deer smell as they walk past. Hopefully when they stop to smell it you have a clear shot. This is where scouting pays off, so you don't have to guess if a deer is going to walk past.

Find any old bottles or relics? Bottle digging/relic hunting is another one of my many other hobbies.

The 2013-2014 sporting license year starts on Oct. 1st 2013 and that is also the cut off date for DMP tags(except for leftovers) which become available around Nov. 1st. I think that when hunting prior to Oct. 1st(northern zone) last years tags are required. I think about hunting 24/7/365

My grandfather used to get tips about fresh road killed deer.He used it only for feeding to his hawks. He raised 500 bobwhite quail every year for the hawks, but the hawks liked some venny too. Please don't consume carrion! LOL Here's the dead animal reporting page from the DEC website.http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6957.html

200-250 is a fair guess. Do you have any other pics from that angle that we could use for a reference?

Very cool! There's no wonder you have the following that you do in the pred hunting community. You can sure knock the lights outta some fur!

It's a paper sign anyways. Easily removed with a bic lighter if need be.

That is without a doubt a big bobcat! Wow that's sweet!

My dad has a camera system with infared and motion detection. When something passes the cam, the monitor starts chiming. I've seen cats set it off. Not overly expensive either. Works like a charm.

Cool, sounds like a nice setup.

Out the window? LOL You are correct jjb. I completely understand where WNYBuckHunter is coming from too. It would be an unfortunate event for all parties involved. I'm a pretty rough & tumble guy and would ward off most physical attacks, but if I perceive a threat of imminent danger in my home, I WILL resort to deadly force. Much rather be alive and fighting in court than killed in my own house.

Way to go! looks pretty thick in there, have you considered making them a nice trail. Just like yotes, deer prefer the path of least resistance. That way you could sort of lead them to a good stand location. It may work!

That's not true. That is for outside of the home. NY has a limited castle doctrine as well. The NRA is a very large proponent of the castle doctrine, so would a NRA sticker on someones door get the same scrutiny as my "tame" sign? I understand that proper judgement needs to be made in the use of deadly force. I'm very on point and vigilant. I appreciate your concern, I'm not just gonna start shooting willy-nilly! lol

It has been my finding that some of the bigger old bucks won't always stay with a group, but will join the group at the feeding/watering zones. If you notice the group starting to get nervous right before dark, there could be a bruiser on his way in.

In the past 2 years our potatoes have done very well. They don't look too bad yet. I know there is a doe with twins that have been browsing on them a little. The soggy conditions haven't helped much either.

It sure isn't easy! I wonder if the lovely preened trails are creating some prime propagating grounds for them! LOL

The permethrin should repel them, though I'm not sold on the "odorless" quality of it. Maybe to us, but a deer can smell things that we can't. If you do get a tick attached to you just grab it as close to your skin as possible with pointed tweezers and slowly but steadily pull it off. Don't put heat, petroleum jelly, or anything on them, this makes the regurgitate into your skin which is how lymes is transmitted. I've had many(20+) ticks in the past 2-3 years and have had no problems.

Probably sittin' by the schnazzy fire pit!

Yikes, that don't look good. I hope you can salvage your stuff. We just did a 2 acre plot of this 3 weeks ago http://store.evolved.com/home/products/harvest/annuals/73029.aspx It's doing good so far. My dad told me there was 7 bucks in it a few nights ago. We just overseeded it yesterday with some rye grass. Hopefully if we have these wire worms, they will be deeper than our roots by now. I'm wondering if that's what is meddling with our taters. 1 1/2 acre fall plot will be going in by the first week in Aug.

As for camo color, there are so many patterns so go hog wild and choose what you like and what will blend with the areas you're hunting. During early bow season there is more foliage on the ground and trees, so something with a leafy pattern would suffice (Realtree Xtra)http://www.realtree.com/camo/realtree-camo-patterns/realtree-xtra-camo. I also personally never hunt without a facemask and gloves. Sitting motionless is very important, so being comfortable is equally important. For ticks, pull your socks over your pants, tuck in your under shirt, maybe get a camo shirt with elastic in the wrists, etc. I've heard of treating clothing with permethrin, but I don't care for chemicals. Permethrin is highly toxic to aquatic life and cats. Not supposed to be harmful to humans, but I'm not chancing it.

Well since it's on my back door, the only people who would see it is either friends, family, or those who are not welcome. I don't welcome the notion of having to shoot someone in my home, but I like any other conscious human being, will do what I have to in such a circumstance. If a no trespassing sign with a depiction of a shotgun on my door sends me to prison for the rest of my life , then so be it. With respect to victims who are inside their own home, New York’s law states in part: A person in possession or control of, or licensed or privileged to be in, a dwelling or an occupied building, who reasonably believes that another person is committing or attempting to commit a burglary of such dwelling or building, may use deadly physical force upon such other person when he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent or terminate the commission or attempted commission of such burglary.

Awesome! I'd love to take a bear with the bow.