phade

Same. I try my best to ice fish but I get out once maybe twice all winter if I am lucky. It's OK, I guess. Had an ice dam push some water in this weekend. I made that painful ordeal as painful as I could for my wife to see this is something that doesn't happen in warmer climates, lol.

I'd fathom a guess that hunter has other big bucks on the wall already. What a stud. Good on you man, you deserve it. Nice mounts coming along this year...some real good bucks went down.

I'm sure they will look great! OTS still behind? I do like the one Revolution form I have. Pragle is a machine. I think he has hired help at this point, seasonally. He got done early this year, this past week he was 100% done with Euros, earliest he has ever been done. That's good for business given he got more volume this year!

Whatever the answer is, I hope you find it. Winters are tough here. I don't actively foresee my retirement years consisting of living here more than a few months if family is still in the area; I'm actively working toward ensuring that we live in a more manageable climate in retirement (understanding they all have risks). Florida has pockets of nice areas. So does GA and SC.

150 all in for the euro and dip. I'm going to have fork over around $2K for all in cost on the barrel pedestal this year but I guess that is a good problem to have and not one that happens every year. Good thing I have a treasure chest buried in the yard that my wife doesn't know about lol.

To help them market and back into coin flip situations. Marketing the big one though. Older deer aging is problematic by tooth wear; thus they use that to show that people are off by X years, or X% less accurate.

Brian Pragle really does a great job on Euros. I have maybe 6-7 done by him. The one on the left is several years old and has aged well. The one on the right I picked up today from this past season. It was a hunter injured buck that I decided to put down. He was unable to bend his rear legs and pretty much had to hop with his rear legs dragging as if they were locked straight as a 2x4. He had a death warrant unfortunately and was absolutely rotting from an arrow wound in the spine midway back and a low forward brisket shot. Smelled horrible. Unfortunately he was a great 2.5 with a busted G2 and was one we had been watching and hoping he would make it through the season. Such is life. But he will be the first buck to go on the barrel pedestal for 2020.

I have a SOG account and the Ace and Aura XR have been popular and pretty cheap for field dressing. I agree relative to field dressing a deer - folders are nice and convenient, but annoying to clean fat and what not out of a folder.

Considering there is a big consolidation in the powder companies...I don't see that ending any time soon. BH209 just got bought out by Hogdon. I suspect even that will be hard to find in the coming year or two.

Do you know the difference between an enzyme and a hormone? You can't hear an enzyme. Moving on, folks. Let's wrap this thread up.

Already been done.

Full disclosure, I once used the ladies room at a USF football game when it was played at Raymond James in Tampa (where the SB was this year). Right behind the pirate ship. My defense is A - pure drunkenness as a freshmen trying to keep up shot for shot with my frat brother who outsized me by 60-70lbs. And B. This was long enough ago that women actually had a positive reception to it and I ended up with quite a few phone numbers. I received a standing ovation from the line of women as I exited, which was when I realized the error of my ways. One of the few times in my life being young, drunk, and stupid had a positive outcome. I could not do this today.

There's maybe one state east of the Mississippi that has this sunrise/set rule....and it's NY. Not saying we should follow others blindly just because...but usually when the whole room is looking at you funny on topics like this, it's because you are.

There were alot of people very firm that this would not happen due to snowmobilers and their influence/$ spend. I spent time looking and it clearly showed to me that hunters spend much more at the national and state level. I'm not saying decisions should be made on who spends more, but I'm convinced hunters do, thus reducing the implied impact of snowmobiler influence on this decision. This came to life because the proposal was passed. Also, many people said they had "inside" news that the official final passed regulation would be a lift and shift. It was not, it was an addition to, ultimately. Instead of us whining about what if - let's just acknowledge that it passed, it's the new norm, and it's an expansion of the season. No sense crying over spilled milk at this point unless we all think we'll get it rescinded in 2024 when this gets reviewed for final/permanent inclusion. CVA Wolf is a good, cheap buy for people who might partake that didn't. Or for kids who might go out.

Cause DEC. Cause NY. Explanation complete.

It's a bit north of you about 90 minutes or so, but they have them, don't advertise, and probably worth the drive because you can get them. Hard to find right now. If you're interested I'll send you the info.

I know a place that has 209M which is perfect for most MZ.

A CVA Wolf or Traditions Buckstalker is pretty cheap and shoot well. I'm guessing you can be ready to go all in (supplies) for around $300, maybe $400 tops if you add a usable scope.

Remember when people were saying snowmobilers would halt this? Remember when people were super confident it would be a lift and shift and not an addition to?

Propane FTW

Like others, we have a ventless heater that runs without electricity and will get us through a short spell. A small generator to run a few basic things. That said I don't feel prepared as I want something idiot proof. My wife would be lost if I wasn't there to get the generator going. It is just not her thing, even if I teach her. Been looking hard at a Generac or similar. Almost got to the point of getting job quotes and then found out that Generac now has solar back-up generators, which blew my mind. Now I'm at the drawing board again, lol. Analysis Paralysis.

Bob Estes is in Caledonia. I think he is still scoring (not sure of Covid impact though) and contact info should be on site. It's about 40 min for you. Plus if you time it right, there are a few good stores along the way. Archery shop in LeRoy, Ammo Bee in Caledonia, etc.

Creeks are one of the best entry and exit paths to get in undetected. People wade, kayak, boat, etc. Not to be confused with easy, or safe, at times, but it's a good place to enter and exit a property quietly and get around deer from time to time.

Has this passed? Seems so. If so, it was passed despite the snowmobiles and also the mZ season reads as if this is additional time and not a replacement of the mz week. Curious if this is official yet or the wording is fooling people.

Yes, for sure. Sam is quite a good hunter. But I don't view those deer any more or less than the deer he has killed in Iowa now since moving out to the wife's farm. Just because it's Iowa, it doesn't mean he didn't work his butt off to kill a nearly 200"er (amongst others). The accomplishments hold equal weight IMO if I were to be judging something (which I'm not other than than he is a good hunter and a good example for my POV). Wouldn't be any different if he shot a nice one in LI, I guess is my point. I know others see it different but I just can't, I guess. I'm not sure my argument would even change in a highly managed piece of ground - if he's taking the top 10%, then it is what it is. But that is just my perspective. One thing I learned from Sam I employed this fall, haha. He told me about a buck he killed down in Ohio on a friend's piece. The terrain was so steep it was almost impossible to not sweat. He said he would drop trow in the pitch black to "air out" and cool down, which to me at the time was about as foreign as I could remember. Ain't no way I'm doing that in the dark in the woods when it's cold out. Fast forward to this year and climbing those hills in MO in the dark of the first morning...I got to a peak of a hill and was dying. Bare ass cooling off in the wind never felt so good. I just looked at the dark sky and stars with no light pollution for 5-10 min. I didn't freeze that morning on stand. The stuff you learn from people, lol.