nyantler

I quit smoking cigarettes 38 years ago, and I was 3 pack a day chain smoking guy... but never really quit tobacco... so I get what you're saying... I go back and forth between cigars and smokeless tobacco, and although I have never had the urge for a cigarette again and don't inhale my cigars, I have found it hard to just say no to tobacco completely in those 38 years. I usually chew during hunting season so I don't smell like a cigar... then switch back to cigars after the season. I have at least 1 cigar a day and usually a couple a day as the weather gets better. You're a smart man to stay away from tobacco... but me.. I'm not so smart

You never played cowboys and Indians? Or army soldiers with your friends? LOL.. we had these cool bazooka as kids that shot big rubbery bombs about 30 feet... you couldn't walk in anyone's yard without getting pasted up side the head by their rubber bazooka missile. Just reminiscing here.. I respect your decision on how you raise your kids and the use of toy guns in your household

I think those are just tobacco flavored paper wrapped in paper... lol

Why? Shouldn't it be about conservation? Personally I think it should be about enjoying yourself... whatever the reason.

Me and my sons burning a few at camp... of course I have a Manhatten in hand as well!

Can't say that I'd stop hunting all together in NY... probably spend more time hunting with friends to get some venison and to do my part for conservation... but the challenge and enjoyment would be gone for me. I'm not ashamed to say that I like hunting bigger bucks... maybe I'd start hunting for piebalds or 3 legged does just to make it more challenging. Actually it might be kind of cool to hunt all season with a stick bow, wood arrows with flint broadheads on the ground just to make things more interesting in NY... and travel out of state for my buck hunting

You do know that nerf guns and video games aren't real right?.. I know it's hard for you youngsters to understand sometimes, but you really missed out on a lot since the whole politically correct thing came around... we played all kinds of shoot 'em up games as kids and no one ever killed anyone, or shot up the school etc. We could even get in a fist fight with a buddy without having to worry about him going home and getting a gun and coming back to shoot someone... you just took your lumps and went on being friends... different times, different attitudes. Not sure what changed, but I don't like it.

A lot of the fun for me over the years was trying new cigars and finding ones that I liked... I found that my taste in cigars changed as I came upon cigars with tastes I hadn't experienced before... many of my close friend are now cigar smokers... especially at deer camp where we all trade and enjoy different cigars together with manhattans by the fire.

I wasn't saying you were knee deep in QDM... and you're right the QDMA isn't adamant about mandatory AR's.. but many who spout their support for the QDM movement only speak about the trophy creating portion of it and fail to acknowledge all the other parts of deer management that go along with healthy herd and habitat developement... my points weren't necessarily about you personally, but more about the basic motivations of those that would use QDM but really know little about what the QDMA and QDM is and how it began. My point still stands that most AR backers, are backing it for selfish reasons and not solid deer management reasons. I notice however that in your last paragraph you still are talking about a bigger buck and nothing about AR's as a part of proper deer management... which is exactly what I'm talking about... it always seems to get back to how big of a buck someone will be able to shoot next year if they pass on a buck and nothing about how it lets the younger bucks step in and fill the next age position. One buck and a shorter gun season also does nothing for proper deer management and population control... it only makes for a broader buck population for those that want to see more bigger bucks... and opens up a whole other can of worms for how deer populations will be controlled in NY with less hunters, less hunting days and less animals being taken.

I'd definitely play!!! My kids grew up with nerf guns and we had some wild shootouts at the Servello household. They didn't grow up wanting to shoot people... they are all grow up now and get their young nieces and nephews nerf guns for xmas so that we can all have nerf wars with the next generation... so far nobody has shot their eye out. Just a bunch of people having a great time laughing and shooting each other with foam.

One of my favorite things in the world is relaxing after a long days work, or sitting by the fire at camp with a really good cigar. I keep a humidor full of cigars at all times. I was wondering if some of you are into cigars as well... I don't mean the over the counter Dutch Masters crap.. I mean a good handmade cigar. Do you have a favorite cigar? or a favorite type of cigar? or a favorite size? I myself like a big 60 rings cigar... sometimes 4" x 60 sometime 6" x 60 depending on how much time I have to smoke. I like a medium to full flavored cigar maduro or habano wrapper cigar... I like my cigar on the peppery side... some of my favorites are CAO Brazilias, Partagus Black, and a lesser know cigar which is my absolutely favorite a Felipe II Fat-Boy...

You keep using the term "mature bucks" like your motive for AR's is one of conservation and not about killing bigger trophy class bucks. I know that most of the QDMers talk a great game about management and actually know quite a bit about good deer management. But lets call a spade a spade here and admit that the real motive here for AR's has little to do with QDMers caring about healthy herds and habitats and more about creating super sized bucks to kill... and that's okay... but let's be honest about the real motivation. I've said this many times on here, but I'll say it again anyways for those that think I know nothing about the QDM movement... I was one of the first to introduce the program to NY back in 1990's and was one of the only hunters actively doing seminars on the subject promoting it's benefit as a management tool given our diminishing habitat in NY... I have watched it slowly move from deer management to deer farming for trophy bucks... Less talk about actually management of the herd as a whole and too much talk about the size of the bucks the program creates... the whole idea of antler restrictions has gotten out of control... most here know that I'm not against antler restrictions... I'm just not for AR's for the same reason as you.

I think that's what's being said by everyone here... everyone here has their own goal... well except maybe those of us that don't care either way.

Yeah but if you put the basket at 8 feet.. I can dunk like Lebron James. You missed the point... Given the same conditions and scenarios there will always be successful and non-successful participants... if the non successful continue to do the same things over and over it is likely that they will never succeed... some things just come easier to others.

Has nothing to do with being a better hunter.. I just put on more miles than most hunters and see more deer. Mostly I guess I'm just luckier than some. My last 5 out of 6 bucks have been killed Dec 10th or later... if I sat in a treestand I'm sure I would have the same results as most other hunters, but I don't... because that makes no sense to me and certainly doesn't sound like any fun. Instead of attacking other hunters for being more successful, some of the "can't kill a deer" guys ought to pay a little better attention to what the successful hunters are doing differently. Because the successful guys certainly aren't going to stop killing deer so the rest can catch up... that's not how it works.

um... yup... the hard part is the drag

There is nothing wrong with someone saying that killing a younger buck is easy... in fact, I am saying it... at least I'm saying it is for me.. it is not the same for everybody. It is easy for some guys to kill deer and harder for others... that's just the truth... not good or bad just true. Nothing wrong with the truth.. except some people have a tough time with it. I find it difficult to dunk a basketball, Lebron James thinks it's easy... is he wrong? No, the truth is that most 5' 10 white guys can't dunk a basketball.. so I wouldn't see it as a "slap in the face" if Lebron James said it was easy. Because for him it is!!

My comment was directed at him and his statement and had nothing to do with you. In fact, it was meant in your defense. Obviously that was too hard for YOU to figure out... my website has nothing to do with anything... I promote nothing... I post ALL the pictures and stories sent to me.. there is no selection process... therefore no hypocrisy. My website is strictly entertainment for those that want to participate... it has nothing to do with what, where, when or why I hunt... what in Gods name gives you any idea that something on this forum could possibly upset me... LOL... it's a stupid forum for crying out loud... just people talking... none of it is important.. it's just entertainment for me. But obviously very important to you.. LMAO

I post what people send to me... there are plenty of small deer on the site if you look... what does that have to do with a slap in the face?

Not sure what that means

Sometimes a good slap in the face is okay... it makes people wake up and realize they're doing something wrong.

Lots of you throw around the term "trophy hunter" thinking it means.. " a hunter that hunts big bucks" ... I hunt big bucks only, but by no means am I a trophy hunter... I hunt bigger bucks simply because the challenge is greater... there are less of them and they are harder to find and kill... If younger bucks were tougher to kill and harder to find, I'd be hunting them. A trophy hunter is really anyone that kills any deer for the reason of puffing their chest and making the announcement of how that deer means that they are a great hunter. I know many many ADK hunters that kill all kinds of big bucks and none of them is a trophy hunter... they are just guys that love that style of hunting and the challenge of an elusive mature buck. I and them get off on the hunt... not the deer. Hence, the reason why the non-kill stories can be just as exciting as the kill stories.

There is definitely a biological benefit to a stronger age structure in the buck population as far as herd management is concerned. There may not be any biological need however for a mandatory AR program at the current time in NY. And, even if there was.. the majority of hunters in NY wouldn't understand why or even care... The big push for AR's is more a selfish trophy hunting thing among hunters than it is a concern for improvement of herd management... and, in my opinion, trophy hunting is not a good reason for implementation of statewide mandatory antler restrictions.

I think you're right!!... OOPS... I need a vacation

The OP was talking about hunting on the ground, tracking or stalking in the snow... you're right though, any good snow camo will work.. the OP was looking for a fleece that was good for when he's on the move that won't heat him up too much.