
wolc123
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Everything posted by wolc123
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I wear prescription glasses without side-shields. With my larger, louder saws, I use earplugs. Hearing protection is vital to me, because my ears have often allowed me to get the drop on deer before they knew what hit them. I probably would have starved years ago, or certainly made a lot more trips to the grocery store, if I could not hear as well. In colder weather, I wear steel-toe, insulated work boots, jeans, t-shirt (tucked) and flannel shirt (untucked). Sometimes, in hot weather, I have gone with just shorts and crocks, because that keeps me the coolest and makes chip-cleanup easy. Keeping yourself cool and comfortable can keep you safer than you would be all bundled up and hot. Your mind functions better when it is not overheating and that is your most important asset, as far as avoiding injuries. We have always heated our house with wood, and I have been running chainsaws for many years, starting as a teenager, cutting wood to heat my folks house and some big "timber" logs for my dad's woodworking hobby. I have had chains break a couple of times and jump off maybe a dozen, but have never suffered an injury from a chainsaw. I might get chaps if I operated one a bit more often, or if I noted any loss in hand-eye coordination. For beginners or pros, they seem like a good idea.
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It looks like a bodonkadonk buck.
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Wow, that was a smokin deal. I have single-speed 12" Craftsman out in my shop that I picked up at a garage sale for $40 (with a table). The two-speed feature would be nice for cutting metal (with a fine pitch blade), but I don't know that it would be any advantage for wood. I also picked up a smaller, Skill bench-top model for down in the basement (I don't heat the shop over the winter) for $30 at another garage sale. Band saws are very handy tools. Did you get a rip fence and a miter gauge with it?
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If you have girls, make sure they use the garbage can for certain feminine items that otherwise might be flushed.
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New to hunting NY could use some suggestions.
wolc123 replied to hunterjim00's topic in General Hunting
For public land hunting: Darien lakes state park is about 1/2 hour drive from Hamburg, Letchworth is about an hour but about 5x larger. -
Years ago, on western elk/mule deer hunts, I also used the 165's (Hornady light magnums), as a compromise in my 30/06. 180's may have been better for elk and 150's for deer. That would be near-perfect black bear ammo, since the slow-burning powder gets the speed up the same as a 7 mm mag. I think I have a box or two left, so I may re-sight and give them a try, after my current supply of 150 gr Federal classics is exhausted.
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Is there really such thing as a brush caliber?
wolc123 replied to 10point's topic in Rifle and Gun Hunting
I think a lighter, faster bullet would break up more and deflect less than a slower, heavier bullet. That may be part of the reason why hunting accidents usually have decreased when rifles are allowed in zones that were formerly shotgun or ML only. All caliber bullets deflect, but definitely not all the same. I do agree that a bush gun is smaller and more maneuverable. I hope to put that into practice this fall with a new, 18" barrel, lever-action 30/30. A 45/70 is a better bush caliber for sure, but harder to find, expensive ammo, and too much kick for my daughters, took it out of the running for me. -
I picked close to a hundred off a buck killed in Lewis county last fall, and pinched all their heads off. That was on the NW corner of the Adirondack park. That will probably be the last one I haul home and butcher myself from up there. There are several processors in that area who will cut up and package a deer for under $50. That is well worth it to me, just so I don't have to deal with the ticks or risk spreading them around back home in north-western NY, where I have never seen one. I have seen two or three on deer from south-western NY, but never anything close to the number found on that north-western Adirondack buck After seeing that, I can't believe I did not get any on myself, after 14 days of hunting up there last fall, with no chemical protection.
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My Dream Rifle Shoots Like A Dream!
wolc123 replied to grampy's topic in Guns and Rifles and Discussions
Nice shootin. -
If there are any gun-only hunters opposed to full-inclusion, they don't seem to be very vocal or politically organized. I don't remember seeing a single post on here or anywhere else from them, expressing that view. In my opinion, all of the credit for stopping this (or at least slowing it down) should go to that small minority of bowhunters, who have once again managed to hold the line. I am very thankful for the two "peak rut" weeks we do have with the crossbow in the southern zone, and for those extra 3 days a month earlier up in the northern zone, prior to ML season up there. Full inclusion would have made it much easier for me to fill DMP tags in the southern zone, but there are some benefits of having the deer population around home (WMU 9F & 9A) way above optimum. It forces me to be careful while driving, but makes it relatively easy to keep our freezer topped off with deer meat. There is always plenty of road-kill to go around from less fortunate drivers, most of whom don't want the meat. I am also thankful that I won't have to dump a grand or more into a more powerful crossbow. My three year old, $250 entry-level model is just fine for 17 days we are currently allotted, only (4) of which I will likely hunt. I think I will spend some of that cash on a new .22 squirrel rifle for my daughter, and spend some of that "off-limits" early-archery season hunting those with her.
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I can't speak for stubby, but I have been there and done that. That beef I helped raise contributed to my grandad's early death from heart-disease. I hope venison allows me to spend a little more time with my own grandkids someday. I am very thankful that my grandma sold the last of the cattle shortly after he died. That is the main reason why I prefer killing bucks of any size over does, they have less fat on them. The leaner meat is probably better for your heart. I never felt right about killing the cattle. It seemed like treachery, providing for them and feeding them every day, right up to "butchering time". There is none of that with the deer, who know damn well that I am out there to kill them, almost right from the start. I certainly do not hunt for sport, or to gather trophies, just food. The more challenge and cost that I can remove from that process the better. I appreciate the trophy hunters, and those who pass on younger deer so that they can get a chance at a mature one. Those young bucks they pass might well be the ones that end up keeping my own family from needing to purchase unhealthy, store-bought, farm-raised meat. Pride is a sin, and I feel none of it by killing deer. I do feel a sense of accomplishment however, mostly from providing healthy food for my family. The pictures are nice to preserve the memories of that, as are the occasional shoulder or euro mounts. Even the smaller racks, screwed to a chunk of wood, with the carcass tag stapled to the back, go along way towards preserving those happy memories. I have 5 carcass tags from last season tied on the freezer handle door right now, two of which will be stapled to their permanent location with the antlers, as soon as the meat is eaten. If they ever did ban hunting deer in NY, I would probably raise grass-fed goats. That meat might come close to the healthy "organic" quality that venison provides. It sure would suck having to feed and water them over the winter and deal with vets, piss and crap. You just don't know how bad those poor farmers have it compared to us hunters, until you have done both. I am very thankful for the "meat hunters" paradise we have here in NY right now. I definitely agree with stubby, that the antlers don't mean squat in comparison to the healthy and great-tasting meat. The best thing they do for me, is to indicate which deer have less fat on them.
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I just checked out my youngest daughter's Red Ryder this morning for the loop modification. As it turns out, the Chinese are using a plastic loop on the new ones, so that was a no-go. I did find a metal big loop and big wood stock combo for it on-line for $40, so that will be here in about a week, which is a week earlier than the new Marlin arrives. Now it looks like she will have a $65 Red Ryder instead of a $25 one. I will trim the new stock to make the length of pull identical to the Marlin 336 BL. It looks like the BB gun barrel length is exactly the same (at least that is metal). The new metal "big loop" should get the overall weight a little closer. While 30/30 ammo is relatively cheap and easy to get, it ain't close to BB's. Also, from 25 yards, the Red-Ryder just puts them thru one side of a pop can, so we can often use them multiple times. I prefer that the kids and I do most of our target practicing with the BB guns for multiple reasons, the most important one being that the ammo is almost free. Also, the noise of neighbors target-practicing with "real" firearms is a bit aggravating at times (especially when I am hunting). I would prefer not to subject others to that aggravation. I am hoping that the kick from the 30/30 will not be too much for my small-framed daughters. The Marlin is a bit heavier than a Winchester 94, which should help with that, and it should not be too hard to locate lighter-recoiling rounds if necessary. If both girls take to deer hunting, the other one will get a .243, which should recoil a lot less. That, along with my 30/06 would give us (3) of the top (4) whitetail chamberings. If momma decides she want's to get into it, I will get her a .270, and then we will have them all covered.
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Your God is with all of us Stubby. It looks like I am the only one other than you who thinks a buck could grow that much antler in 1-1/2 years. I do not believe there is anyplace on earth where it could happen in the wild however, so you are on your own there. Maybe FSW will chime in and tell us he could do it in captivity, on a conventional diet, but I doubt that also. I think that you could get enough protein into a buck in 1-1/2 years, on a straight milk diet, to grow antlers that big. I know of of a famous general down in PA (also my favorite ex-president), who won numerous 1st place awards, back in the days of fat-cattle, by finishing his black-Angus steers that way. Unfortunately, a heart-attack took him out, just like it did my grandad and most others who eat a lot of fatty beef like that. That is why I like getting most of my family's protein from free-ranging whitetail bucks (the does are a little fatty for me but still better than any beef).
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I think the only way you could get that much antler on a 1-1/2 year old would be in captivity, and on a straight milk diet. In that case, his body would resemble a water balloon in shape, and we are certainly not seeing that.
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I heard that Slapshot is supposed to be pretty good.
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Three things point to 2-1/2. The body and the antlers give you good clues, but the shape of the his head makes it pretty certain. A 3-1/2 would be longer and more "horseish" like the one on the left in this picture. The shape of the skull of the 2-1/2 on the right is very similar to the buck in your picture. You did good by waiting though, because he will have another 50 pounds or so of meat on him this fall, and that is what it is all about.
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I never killed one with it, but a friend borrowed my old scoped, Marlin 336, 30/30 lever-action and killed a big black bear over bait up in Canada quite a few years ago. I sold it a few years later, but missed it so much, that I just ordered another one today (The Big Loop model). I certainly would not hesitate to use that on a bear. In fact, if I could choose any gun for black bear at close range, that would be it. If the first shot don't do the trick, that big loop should make it easy to get out 5 more real fast. My buddy broke the shoulder on his bear, at 25 yards, and put it down in it's tracks with a single shot. I still have the rest of the ammo in that box. Maybe I can use that on the old bruin they have been seeing around my in-laws Adirondack home the last few years. My father in law has been asking for a bear rug to decorate their house, along with the whitetail mount I got him a couple years ago.
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I had a 336 year ago and I don't remember it being that tough to clean. I would usually take out the screw to remove the lever, then the bolt would come right out of the back. It did not take much longer to clean than a bolt-action. Just an extra minute or two to remove and reinstall that screw. That also made it easy to bore-sight when I put a scope on it. I just sighted thru the barrel on the bull and adjusted the crosshairs to the same point at 50 yards. It only took a few shots to get it hitting right on after that. One thing is certain, this gun is going to get wet. I will keep using my scoped Ruger M77 30/06 in dry, calm conditions. It feels good to finally be ready to deer hunt in any type of weather conditions. The weather was so crappy up there opening weekend that I came home early last year. That is not going to happen again thanks to this new lever gun.
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The Adirondack, rainy/snowy weather, still-hunting rifle search is over for me. I just ordered the Marlin 336, BL, 30/30. It sure would have been nice last season in all that rain we had opening weekend. My interest in lever rifles has increased since my younger daughter got a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas a few years ago. She has not shot her eye out with it yet. That open-sighted lever is a lot more fun to shoot than my older daughter's scoped Crossman 760 pump. Hopefully, thousands of shots with the Red Ryder at cans will translate to some success with the Marlin on mountain bucks. Maybe I will take the cutoff wheel and welder to the Red-Ryder and give it a Big Loop to make that cheap practice more realistic.
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I think we should be able to get an archery tag, a ML tag and a gun tag. 3 bucks a season would be great.
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#1 Sometimes a great notion, #2 On Golden Pond, #3 Patton, #4 Jaws, #5 Rio Lobo Almost forgot, "A History of Violence" contains my favorite line: "I will take a Genny Cream"
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Even though I am a meat-hunter, I really do appreciate the trophy hunters and those who like killing older bucks. The small bucks they pass might be what ends up keeping my family from having to resort to store-bought chicken, pork, or turkey to fill or protein needs over a long winter. I prefer to satisfy that need for food with bucks more than does for several reasons. Most important, they are faster for me to process, with less fat to trim away. Second, does are the source of future bucks, so it just don't feel right killing them. I understand that it is necessary, because that is the only way to keep deer populations under control. My favorite bucks to eat are BB's, but I have let many of those escape by taking my first shot at their momma. Those that don't run away fast enough have often got to join her in "deer heaven" (our family's food supply) however. I also appreciate the antlers because they make nice handles for dragging the bucks into a clearing for gutting, and into a tractor bucket for transport. They also make great reminders of past hunts, and cool wall decorations. Some talk about "advancing" to trophy hunting, but I see as a step backward. When I was young and single, I was more into the antlers. Not so much since getting married and starting a family, with all those additional hungry mouths to feed. The only reason I pass 1-1/2 year old bucks, early in the seasons, is to get a crack at a 2-1/2 or 3-1/2 later. All those taste about the same, but the 2-1/2's and 3-1/2's provide a lot more meat. Even though BB's provide much less meat, it is so good that I never mind using a DMP on one. On average, 25% of my DMP's have gone on them thru the years. I would like to use all of them on those, but I sacrifice the flavor and tenderness to do my part to keep the population in check. I always target the largest antlerless deer first whenever clean shots are offered. It is too bad that some trophy hunters despise meat hunters. God did not put deer here to provide wall decorations. You can look that up in the Bible. He also has the final say to where all of them end up, so it makes sense to hunt them for the right reason - for the meat. I consider NY state to be a meat-hunters paradise, and I would rate it number one for that compared to any other state or province where I have hunted or visited. The DEC has done a great job for us. The only little tweaks to the rules I would like to see is full inclusion of the crossbow and a third buck for those of us who buy a archery, gun, and ML tag. Other than that, keep up the good work. To the sorry complainers: If you don't like it leave it, there are 49 other states to pick from. As far as my take on AR's, I am only for them if they can be shown, using data from other states, that they make hunters safer.
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It sounds like I need to take the 45 colt off my short list. I don't reload, so factory ammo availability and cost are big concerns. I will not consider the .35 rem, because three different friends of mine had misfires at a "buck of a lifetime" while attempting to fire those rimless cartridges from their T/C contenders. I have no desire to join that crowd. I will probably go with a 30/30, 44 mag, or .357 mag. Any of those should provide plenty of punch in the 5 to 75 yard range, and should be tame enough for my daughters.
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SB 4739 - Establishes the yearling buck protection program
wolc123 replied to Rebel Darling's topic in Deer Hunting
I would like to see a 3BR for those who buy an Archery, ML and gun tag. I hope they never go for a OBR.