Curmudgeon

The monetary benefits from legal hunting of big game in Africa presents one of the biggest quandaries for anti-hunters. If anyone is interested in how to tie their brains in knots, this Radio Lab podcast is worth a listen - http://www.radiolab.org/story/rhino-hunter/

Okay, thanks. If I cannot come up with a map, I will start googling counties.

I did it in the first sentence of post #34. Do you want me to quote myself? Forget that, here it is again: "A simpler way of saying the same thing: This forum does not accurately reflect the opinions or practices of NYS hunters. It has biases. If someone wanted good data on what hunters in NYS think, they might come here looking for questions to ask. They would not come here to get data." In other words, when people choose to be part of a smaller group, they are not representative of the larger group.

I am looking for a map of legal implements for deer hunting from around 2000. I am trying to determine the expansion rifles into areas that used to be shotgun. Does anyone have an old regulations booklet circa 2000 that they could scan the deer hunting implements map from, and send it to me?

And, how would it affect new hunter recruitment?

A simpler way of saying the same thing: This forum does not accurately reflect the opinions or practices of NYS hunters. It has biases. If someone wanted good data on what hunters in NYS think, they might come here looking for questions to ask. They would not come here to get data. Since we are already off the rails, why not keep going. If you have been around a while, if you care and pay attention, one of the more obvious problems is how women are treated here. You have to be a tough woman to persist even if the men who are a problem are a minority. Strictly rhetorical questions: Why are YOU here? Because you want to meet people like you? Because you are bored at your computer? Because you have an agenda? Because you like to argue? Because you are trying to learn something? Because it helps your business? Because you enjoy Muslim hate spam?

G-Man knows of what he speaks.

Apparently, you did not understand what it meant. It refers to the people who choose to be part of this forum. You are part of the "self selecting group". Most of the hunters I associate with are not. This creates a bias which makes people like me less represented here than they are in the real world.

Belo - I can't figure out if you just insulted me or not.

While the article was well written and thought out, to me it seems to preach to the choir. There is the argument that a trophy deer, elk, whatever, is still eaten. Saving that smaller buck for next season is a moot point. Most anti-hunters would not consider that decision to be trophy hunting. You want to "work together" where there is "common ground". Arguing against wilderness areas - which I hunted avidly when I was able - and pushing for motorized access, undermines that desire. I can no longer hunt those big woods but I will continue to advocate for wilderness. I have personal limits but would fight the State compromising wild areas by allowing motorized access, even if it got me deeper into the woods. There are plenty of "Wild Forests". Many "Wilderness" areas are lacking in game anyway. You may not find many who agree with me on this forum but they are out there. I hunt with them. This tends to be a self selecting group. Maybe sportsmen aren't joining your organizations because there are too many differences, too many compromises. I will join the NRA when they stop lying about the impact of lead ammo on scavenging raptors. Why would trapping be banned in some municipalities? I assume this is for pet safety. I am sure I am not the only person who knows someone whose pet was caught or killed by a trap in a suburban or semi-rural area.

It seems I have had small ones forever. I counted hawks at a migration site for a couple of decades. A distant soaring raptor and a floater can look very much alike. A guy I knew years back had one break loose after being hit while boxing. It ruined one eye. It was so large, he got virtually nothing from that eye.

Wow. Great shots. When they do their head-up hiding posture, you can walk right up to them.

More photos from the pond. Aggression is increasing. Single males are showing up - woodies & mallards. Note the time on the night shot. Don't ducks sleep, even with half their brain at a time?

I don't clean a firearm after every use but I always wiped them down with oil at the end of a day. That was until I got a stainless 10-22. I guess I took "stainless" for granted and got lazy. You know, stainless can and will corrode. A bit started to show on the 10-22. I wipe it down every time now. Given the visibility of stainless, I am not sure I would want it for serious hunting.

Not quick, just lucky. In this kind of weather I only check my email a couple of times each day. It came in just before I did.

Attached 2015deerrpt.pdf

Rob - All is well. Papist just hasn't been making me smile as much lately. He did with that one.

I love that Papist "liked" this comment. Irony is not dead.

Yes, same spot - 30 yards from the back door.

Point the camera at a log. Everything likes a log in the water.

When the ice melted, I set up a camera by the pond.

Is that from the fuel oil truck that rolled over in Delaware County? From the Oneonta Daily Star: Fuel-truck driver faces charges after crash, spill STAFF REPORT The driver of a fuel delivery truck that overturned Monday morning near Stamford has been charged with speeding and other traffic violations, according to a Tuesday media release from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. The wreck — which occurred at about 10 a.m. in the town of Harpersfield on state Highway 23 — involved a JK & Sons Oil Inc. delivery truck that overturned, spilling about 2,500 gallons of home heating oil onto the road, the release said. This resulted in state Route 23 being shut down for several hours. The driver of the vehicle, Bryant Hunt, 46, of Roxbury, was issued traffic summonses for speed not reasonable and prudent, failure to keep right, unsafe tire, failure to have proper hazardous material placards, a broken front leaf spring and inadequate brakes, the release said. The company Hunt drives for, JK & Sons, is based in Margaretville, deputies said. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the state police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, state Department of Environmental Conservation, Stamford Fire Department, Hobart Fire Department, Delaware County Hazmat team, Cooperstown Medical Transport, state Department of Transportation and the Town of Harpersfield Highway Department, the release said. The cleanup of the home heating oil was completed by DEC and Boyle Excavating of Harpersfield. Hunt is scheduled to answer the violations at 7 p.m. April 25 at the Town of Harpersfield Court.

Fact is, hunters have funded a lot of conservation through Pittman Robertson and duck stamps. This has given hunters a significant amount of political power. A group of national wildlife organizations - frustrated by their relative lack of influence compared to hunters - tried for many years to get an excise tax on binoculars, bird seed, etc. This failed. As Mike said, some of these organizations encourage the purchase of duck stamps by non-hunters. I am a hunter but that is just an extension of a life-long interest in wildlife. Like many hunters, satisfaction in the field has less to do with meat and the kill than the wildlife experience - whether that be birds, weasels or porkies. I haven't bought a duck stamp since I quit duck hunting decades ago. However, over the years I have spend thousands of out-of-pocket dollars, and thousands of unpaid hours on serious wildlife research.

It is good that DEC was very aggressive initiating control of feral swine and escaped Eurasian boar. Like so many native species, they evolved with the native predators. Add an invasive to the mix and everything gets out of whack.

I never liked this argument. It is not compelling. It seems self serving. Overpopulation can be a big problem. It is especially a problem with deer and snow geese. My concern is not for either species, it is for the host of other species that depend on the habitat they are destroying. HSUS and PETA are ecologically illiterate.