wolc123

Mucho Grande Burrito at El Ranchito. Almost as good as a venison taco. We are down to our last few packs of grind, so the rationing has begun. October 10 and the opening of NZ crossbow season didn't get here quite soon enough to prevent that.

Between the eyes can be a little too far forward, depending on the shot angle. The spot you want to hit, with a .22 rimfire, is the intersections of an "X" formed between the eyes and ears (imagine lines connecting the right eye / left ear and vise-versa). The bullet should enter perpendicular to the the skull at the intersection of that 'X". You will know you hit the right spot if the animal begins violent uncontrolled flopping right after the shot. If opossums are the culprit, a second "double" lunger is a good idea. They have a tiny "pea-brain" and often play their name if you miss it. If you catch a skunk, a shotgun load of # 6's to the head from 10-15 yards upwind always does the trick and keeps them from releasing any spray. I have heard that throwing a blanket over the cage, then drowning also prevents spray with them. I would be afraid to get that close to a cage with a live skunk in it. NY state allows landowners to "take" - meaning kill, "damaging" coons, opossums, and skunks WITHOUT a permit, however taking "nuisance" coons does require a DEC permit. You can google the DEC table of these details, which was recently posted here on another thread. I would say a "crapped-up" garage constitutes damage that would be acceptable by most conservation officers. I am sure there is a current or former member or two here who may disagree. What would we talk about without such folks who are very concerned for the well-being of the cuddly little furry animals and don't give a crap about you or I. The DEC does require burying or cremating the animals immediately, if they are "taken" prior to the opening of trapping hunting/season. After that, you can just chuck them out in the field to feed the buzzards (unless you want to skin them for the quarter that the hide might fetch at auction).

I use my range finer to place ribbons at 50 yards, in various directions, around all of my stands, several weeks before the season opens. That is the maximum range that I would shoot at a deer with my current crossbow. With my vertical bow, I never shot at a deer over 25 yards. If I still hunted with that, I would use the range finder to place a second ring of ribbons around each stand at that range. I might have to do that anyhow, depending how this afternoon's practice session goes. It is nice to have those known range markers at your hunting locations. Live deer seldom hang around long enough to give you the time to use a range finder on them. Speaking of that, it is time to put the batteries in my range-finder and crossbow red-dot site, find my foam block target, and go sling a few bolts off the back deck. October 10, opening day of NZ crossbow season is coming up pretty fast. I used my last mechanical broadhead on a 46" CG buck last season. I am too cheap to buy more, at the current high prices, so I need to determine which fixed 125 gr broadheads: Muzzy, Wasp, or Allen, hits the closest to my field-tips at 50 yards. If they only hit well to 40 yards (or even 25), then I will move that ring of ribbons in a bit to compensate. 2/3 of the bucks that I have taken with that crossbow and mechanical broadheads were inside of 25 yards anyhow.

I looked into the "ISIL" / "ISIS" thing a little bit, and it appears that using "ISIL" disrespects Israel more than using "ISIS". I guess it should come as no surprise then, why Obama preferred to use "ISIL", and why he was unable to contain the expansion of this group during his administration. Thank God that unpleasant period of American history is firmly behind us now. I wonder if we would have seen the American embassy in Israel move to Jerusalem, and the US recognition of the legitimate capital, had Hillary been elected.

I was looking at a wheat/soybean/white clover plot today, that I put in a couple days before Labor day. I went kind of light on the wheat and I do not see any of that coming up. It was from an old bag, so the seed may have been bad. The soybeans are up around 4 " and the white clover is up about 1/4". Each of those looks like close to 100 % germination. I never tried oats, but I hear that the deer like them more than wheat or rye. I am not sure if they can make it thru winter like wheat and rye can however. I am hoping that it stays above freezing until November, because I know that deer like green soybeans more than almost anything else and my wheat looks like it might be a total loss. On the plus side, at least without the wheat stealing the nitrogen, the white clover with soybean nurse crop should max out the available nitrogen for followup corn plots.

Wow, that is a lot of gun for a NY state black bear. I guess it just goes to show that it don't matter how much gun you use, you still got to put the bullet in the right place.

Mammals Commonly Causing Conflicts (in alphabetical order) See Definition of "Nuisance" and "Damaging" Animal Take if a Nuisance Take if Damaging Property Take if Threatening Public Safety Bats Please contact a DEC Wildlife Office or a NWCO when dealing with bats. Some bat species are protected and require experts to identify them. For some helpful tips on safely removing a bat from your home, visit the little brown bat webpage Beaver (More information on handling beaver conflicts) DEC permit needed - refer to note 3 DEC permit needed - refer to note 3 n/a Black Bear (More information on handling bear conflicts) DEC permit needed If destroying livestock or an apiary, no permit is necessary to take a black bear; however, you must promptly notify the nearest Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) to make arrangements for delivering the carcass (find an ECO near you). Also, DEC may issue a permit for a landowner to take if there is proof that the bear is causing property damage DEC may issue a permit for a landowner to take if there is proof that the bear is threatening public welfare or safety. Bobcat DEC permit needed DEC permit needed n/a Chipmunk Yes Yes n/a Coyote (More information on handling coyote conflicts) DEC permit needed Yes DEC may issue a permit for a landowner to take if there is proof that the coyote is threatening public welfare or safety Deer DEC permit needed DEC permit needed n/a Eurasian Boar (More information on handling wild hog conflicts) Please contact a local DEC Wildlife Office Fisher DEC permit needed DEC permit needed n/a Foxes - Red Fox and Gray Fox DEC permit needed Yes n/a Hare - Snowshoe/Varying DEC permit needed Yes, refer to notes 1 and 2 n/a Marten DEC permit needed DEC permit needed n/a Mice Yes Yes n/a Mink DEC permit needed DEC permit needed n/a Moles Yes Yes n/a Muskrat Yes, refer to note 2 Yes, refer to note 2 n/a Opossum DEC permit needed Yes, refer to note 2 n/a Otter, River DEC permit needed DEC permit needed n/a Porcupine Yes Yes n/a Rabbit - Cottontail DEC permit needed Yes, refer to notes 1 and 2 n/a Raccoon DEC permit needed Yes, refer to note 2 n/a Rats (except Allegheny woodrat) Yes Yes n/a Shrews Yes Yes n/a Skunk Yes, refer to note 2 Yes, refer to note 2 n/a Squirrels - Gray, Black, and Fox DEC permit needed Yes, refer to note 2 n/a Squirrels - Red and Flying Yes Yes n/a Voles Yes Yes n/a Weasels DEC permit needed Yes, refer to note 2 n/a Woodchuck/Groundhog Yes Yes n/a Birds Commonly Causing Conflicts (in alphabetical order) See Definition of "Nuisance" and "Damaging" Animal Take if Only a Nuisance Take if Damaging Property Blackbird, Red-winged No If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit during June - October, for all other damage refer to note 4 Canada Goose (More information on handling Canada goose conflicts) Federal permit needed Federal permit or DEC authorization needed, refer to note 5 Cormorants (More information on handling cormorant conflicts) No Federal permit needed Cowbirds No If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit during June - October, for all other damage refer to note 4 Crow No If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit, for all other damage refer to note 4 Ducks Federal permit needed Federal permit needed European starling Yes Yes Grackle No If destroying crops, may be taken without a permit during June - October, for all other damage refer to note 4 Great Blue Heron Federal permit Needed Federal permit Needed Gulls (More information on handling gull conflicts) Federal permit needed Federal permit needed House (English) sparrow Yes Yes Pigeon without leg band Yes Yes Pigeon with leg band No No Snow goose Federal permit needed Federal permit needed Mute swans DEC permit needed DEC permit needed Turkey DEC permit needed DEC permit needed Woodpecker Federal permit needed Federal permit needed Reptiles Commonly Causing Conflicts (in alphabetical order) See Definition of "Nuisance" and "Damaging" Animal Take Anytime Take if Only a Nuisance Take if Damaging Property Take Under Special Circumstances Snakes No DEC permit needed DEC permit needed Contact a local DEC Wildlife Office Turtles No DEC permit needed DEC permit needed Contact a local DEC Wildlife Office Notes The following notes apply to specific areas in the tables above. Note 1 - May not use ferrets, fitch-ferrets, or fitch to take Note 2 - If taking during the closed hunting or trapping season, the animal must be buried or cremated immediately Predate: Note the three columns in the NY State DEC table that I copied above: One for "nuisance" - a permit is required there, just like in the table you posted. The second column is the key here: "damaging". That is where the downed corn and coon tracks comes in. Case closed - Verdict (for the masked bandits) : To quote one of my favorite artists " "One Dying and a Burying". The third column about "a threat to public safety" is apparently non-applicable to the raccoon.

That table is for "nuisance" coons, which is a seperate category than "damaging" In my case, the 5 bushels of corn down on the ground (or even a single ear) surrounded by coon tracks ought to be plenty of "damage" to satisfy most game officers.

No I deer

A permit is not required for landowners to trap and destroy "damaging" coons pre-season, but the DEC recommends burying or burning the carcasses immediately. I guess I have to start burning them or dig a little deeper. I did not catch any last weekend, but took and burried (7) over the three day Labor-day weekend. Prior to that, they had destroyed about 5 bushels of field corn. There has not been much additional damage, on my three acres of corn, so it looks like I am at least keeping up with them with (4) box traps and (2) dog-proofs. Since the free-fall of fur prices, the local coon population has exploded. Rabies and distemper use to help out but our county is now air dropping medicine. The only way I can grow small acreage of corn is to take them out myself. Fortunately, they are about the easiest furbearer there is to trap. If I have any corn left after muzzleloading season, I will harvest it for my parents laying hens. Last winter, a big doe got hit by a car in front of our house in February. She had a belly-full of corn (I noticed that after the coyotes opened her up). Harvesting the left-over corn in December should help prevent that from happening again.

It would be cool if some internet-savvy individual would post up a chart of how much territory ISIS controlled, when Obama was president, and how much they have now that Trump is in charge. Remember how Obama could not even bring himself to say "ISIS", but referred to them as "ISEL" . There is an awful lot of chatter and BS being floated about by both sides. Such a chart would be easy to verify, from independent sources, and might open up enough eyes to help create a Republican landslide in the upcoming mid-terms.

That reminds me, I have got to get my pre-season "damaging" coon traps back out there this afternoon. Usually, I just trap the weekends, so that I can quickly dispatch and bury them, per NY state DEC recommendations. It looks like the canines were pretty active back there over the last couple weeks, based on all the "exhumed" shallow graves I saw (and smelled) today while working on stands.

I am in.

Please tell us about how that "meeting" went when you feel up to it. I have been praying for you and am glad to see you posting again. I hope you are well and that you have a great hunting season this fall.

I used up my last mechanical broadhead last season and I am reluctant to buy more at the current outrageous price level. Thanks for your post, which helps me make up my mind on that. I have a good stock of Muzzy fixed 3-blade 125 gr left over from my bow-hunting days. Those will be the first ones I try this year, with my Barnett recruit (300 fps) crossbow, out on the range. If they group the same as my 125 gr field-points, then that is what I will hunt with this season. If not, I will try some older 125 gr three blade Wasps, or some Allens that I picked up on sale at Walmart last year. The three bucks that I struck with mechanicals, over the last 4 seasons, all dropped dead within 40 yards. If you are dropping them inside of 30, with fixed broadheads, then there is no point in my wasting any more cash on mechanicals. If and when I upgrade to a faster crossbow, they might make sense, because they should fly closer to field-tips at long range. Inside of 50 yards (which is my absolute upper extreme now) I doubt they will make much difference. I will find out this week out on the range. I always like to eliminate all the guesswork prior to the opening of Northern zone crossbow season on October 10.

I am not aware of a PA chart for elk, but I suppose I could extrapolate off the end of the PA chest girth whitetail deer chart. Since the PA elk of today came from western transplants (the eastern elk was driven to extinction by overhunting according to info in the PA visitor center), a western chart might make for a closer approximation.

Not when momma doe is still with them, but she usually takes the first shot. With a couple deer from my prior post, my buddy missed a doe from the upper deck of a two-story box blind in the morning, but killed the button. I assume that she was the one that I killed from the lower deck later that afternoon. She sure seemed to be attracted to that little gut pile.

I use to brush in my blinds every year by weaving leafy branches thru old wood & wire snow fence. That never worked out so good and was very high-maintenance. The leaves fell off and had to be replaced every season. Also, when the deer were in close, they would sometimes still pick out motion thru any remaining openings, and take off before I could take a shot. What I do now, is box them in below the shooting rails with old unpainted, weathered barnwood (140 year old American chestnut). That has been very effective and blends in quite well with the fall woods. I boxed three of them like that 2 seasons ago and we killed 3 deer out of one of them that year. Last year I killed one each out of the other two. None of those blinds had produced, when they were brushed in, but they are all working well now that they are boxed. Three of those kills were does and a button buck at slightly over 100 yards with sabot slugs. The other two were 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks, at 15 yards or less with a crossbow.

Wouldn't it be nice if NY state would give those of us who buy regular, bow, and muzzleloading licences, a buck tag for each instead of two buck tags and an "antlerless only" ?

25 yards is where I dialed my pellet gun (rifle) in at. I think that is just about perfect for early-season "leaves on" squirrel hunting. I always dialed my .22 rimfire rifles in at 50 yards, but most of that shooting was after deer season when the leaves were down.

No, but I might try it for the first time with a pellet gun this weekend if it gets cold enough. I did shoot the head off one once with my old side-lock 50 cal, open-sited Gander mountain "fox-river-50" muzzleloader which is almost as small and light as a pistol. For cooking squirrels, I usually just skin and gut, then throw them in the crock-pot with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a little water. Sometimes, there will be a mix of rabbit and squirrel in there and the kids and I always like the squirrel better. I like the squirrel back-straps the best (meat above the rib cage ahead of the hind quarters), but the back legs are also good and tender after the slow-cooking process.

That means that this thread is (2) pages long and my post is now the first one on the second page. I did not know that at the time of the original post, hence the "edit".

No problem Rob, Lord knows I still make a lot of mistakes myself. Even way back then when I killed my first deer (when I was quite clueless myself) Jesus must have been helping me out. There were two twins running full tilt down a hill in the park, thru the woods. I aimed and shot when they reached an opening about 50 yards away. One of them folded up at my shot, struck clean thru the shoulder blades. It might not have been the one I was aiming at.

"Pike" not "spike". I must have been about 20 when I killed my first legal "spike" whitetail. I still remember that one pretty clearly. I did not see the horns until I walked up to the carcass. The 1-1/2 power scope on my old Ithaca pump seems to make them look smaller. Fortunately, I still had my buck tag. I was 17 when I killed my first deer (a button buck naturally) down in Allegheny state park while hunting with my uncle and father.

I am 53, and caught my first pike at 10, so I got you by a few years on that. Also, if this were just a single isolated event, your argument might make a little more sense (very little because the Bible says that Jesus Christ does indeed control the fate of all living things - anyone with a smart-phone can quickly verify that). Do you expect us to believe that you are right and the Bible is wrong ? If so, then please tell us the credentials with which you dispute what is believed by an estimated 75 % of American's today ? I don't know the fate of those 15 pike, because we let them all go. It was not that long ago, so some may still be swimming. The (3) bass were blessed with the happy trip to "fish-heaven" however. The fact is, this type of thing has happened repeatedly and no "once" living things have demonstrated it more clearly to me than the whitetail deer. I can't think of one that I killed and/or that my family got to eat, over at least the last 10 years, that did not have Jesus's fingerprints all over it. I will always give credit where credit is due, for surely I ain't that good of a hunter on my own. I will take a shot at a deer if I am 90 % certain of making a recoverable kill. That means that 10 percent should have been lost, yet none were over over that stretch, and very seldom have we been forced to the grocery store for meat. I freely admit to some struggles in my early years, before I made that "Jesus" connection. Those struggles went away in all things (not just hunting and fishing) after I figured it out. I sincerely hope that you, and the other semi-clueless 25 % figures it out also. p.s, Thank you Jesus for putting me on the top of the list on page 2.