grampy

For me it's getting out there on snowshoes. I go at least a couple times a week. Even was out there in minus forty wind chills two weeks ago, but I just can't stand being stuck inside. I love being in the woods in the winter and the deer are using my trails now in the deep snow. I have been cutting hemlock branches for them too. As much as I enjoy the winter woods, I have to admit, it's been a cold and windy one for sure.

There is not many things that hurt more than losing a beloved dog. I feel your pain for losing your best buddy,Zimba. I lost my buddy Sam a couple of years ago. I have been blessed to have had a few real good dogs in my lifetime. But far and away Sam was the best. I still think of him every day and have his picture above my desk. Time will help ApexerER,but you'll just never forget a best dog.

Does this mean no full inclusion for crossbow in the 2015 archery season?

Do ya feel lucky....punk..

I'm the oldest of eight. Six brothers,two sisters. One sister died as a result of an auto accident at age eight. My remaining sister grew up with six brothers and let me tell you,she is one tough girl!

Polar vortext, global warming, and anywho !

Oh boy, now we can get that one thread well over 100 pages!

Up until the last week or so we have seen a few does with their fawns from last year, in the field behind the house. Even scarfed the few remaining crabapples that were still hanging on. But haven't seen them in the open lately. With this wind and bitter cold and deep snow, on my snowshoe walks, I see some tracks coming from the thick pines and hemlocks. The deer I do see look nice and healthy so far. Amazing animals for sure!

By all accounts, a good family man and a great deer hunter. RIP....Lane.

About eight years ago in my area of Albany county, it seemed that just about everyone was seeing a couger or mt.lion. Some very credible people made the claim to have seen it. People like a local state park superintendent claimed to have seem it twice. Local farmers, even my buddies father and brother claimed to have seen it on their farm that they have lived on their entire lives. School teachers and even some local law enforcement claimed to have seen this mt. lion! I too have lived here most of my life, and have roamed this same state park and surrounding woodlots and farms since I was a kid. I know every nook cranny and brook, swamp, hill and field for five square miles. I don't know anyone that spends or spent more time in these woods than my hunting partner, who also grew up on said farm and myself. Nether him or I ever saw any sign whatsoever of any mt. Lion. We do have quite a few bobcats in the area maybe that is what they saw. Though some of the people I talked to swear that it was no bobcat, and that they know the difference between the two. It's hard to look someone in the eye that has known you since you were a pup and tell them they don't know what they saw. I do believe that they believe they saw something. But there is no way I believe it was a mt.lion. With my own eyes I never saw a scrap of proof. If there was one there we would have found evidence somewhere, somehow.

A little research into things like weather forecast,trail conditions,what to expect on the ridge tops and a bit of common sense,may have saved her life. Very sad.

All the points she made were spot on!

Very cool ! Even your indoor pic's are fantastic wooly !

Yeah, we are warming up nicely, here in the Helerberg hills. Wind chill is only - 25 today! Just got done snowblowing drifts again and a lot warmer out than yesterday. Took another snowshoe hike out back, very little deer movement seen the last couple of days. The deep snow and cold temps will make it a bit hard on them. But they are amazingly tough animals. And I gain more respect for them every year!

Grandkids = great hunting buddies! Congrats growie!

If I'm not mistaken, you must possess a valid bowhunting license to hunt with a crossbow. So you would have taken the NYS bowhunters course. Does that mean that everyone who takes any hunter education course is ethical and takes only ethical shots and follows all game laws. Absolutely not. But I would like to think the majority do.

Warners lake. AMEC sanctioned car races.

Stoke the wood stove Shoot some arrows downstairs, if shoulder will allow me to. Stoke the wood stove. Go for a snow shoe walk in the woods out back. Stoke the wood stove. Go down and watch some of the races on the lake. Stoke the wood stove. Put in more wood.

A saying my grampy used to say on occasion. Well, if your up to it. Lets get down to it. And damn the man. That doesn't put his hand to it.

Did it a few times when I was in my 20's. We would ride back in on snow machines,put pine boughs down a foot or so deep and pitch the tent over that. Had wood stacked at the site so we had a big fire, brought along plenty of food and of course a bottle of fire water to pass around. I remember some deep conversations a lot of laughs and frozen boots in the morning. And the stars in the clear winter night that really stood out.

Down on the local lake tomorrow they have the outlaw motorcycle and quad races. And on Sunday the AMEC car races. Will have to bundle up and trundle down to watch and hang out with some buddies. Don't see a problem keeping the beer cold!

Great post Mr VJP ! "The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are now outnumbered by those who vote for a living" So very true.

If you are in the area you are hunting the evening before the hunt, try owl hoots to hear where they are roosting. All the better if you can find more than one place where you can get a fix on multiple birds fot the next morning. If going in blind in the morning, try setting up in a field edge or hedgerow, close to higher ground. Wait to hear first gobbles from the roost. Then move carefully to within 75 yards or so and set the decoys. Call softly till you get a response. Do not over call! He will know where you are just give him some soft clucks and purrs if he's coming to you. Sometimes running and gunning will work later in the morning after the first hens leave for their nests. This can be both exciting and frustrating. But that's turkey hunting! Try to shock gobble them or use a crow or peacock call to locate a tom. It seems like more often than not in recent years they just won't gobble as much as they did years ago. So listen close, if you only hear one gobble move to him quickly and set up. Sometimes, if you can tag along with someone who is more experienced it will help cut the learning curve quite a bit.

I guess Bushnell will get no good word of mouth business from this. Too bad they would not work with you more. A thumbs up or good review on their return policy. From a fellow shooter or hunter,would have made them more money than the cost of replacing your scope. Go with the 3-9x40 if you already like it on another rifle.

No complaints here,just an observation. You seem a bit testy lately, perhaps a bit of cabin fever for you?