wolc123

Where does the meat go ? Sending it over to Poland to feed Ukrainian refugees would be a good idea. Our Governor could win some international browny points and set herself up for a 2024 Presidential run. That would clear the way for a Republican governor here in NY, just like happened in Arkansas, when they exported Clinton to DC. NY venison is such a valuable commodity, that it could tip the international balance of power. An added bonus, is that the antlers should be dropped by now, so that bucks and does will be equally represented with the humanitarian aid shipments.

It shouldn’t, but I read of at least 3 last season, on this site alone. Most were probably caused by using the wrong primers or breech plugs. T7 seems very forgiving in my Omega. I have never had a misfire or a hang fire with that, using many different brands of 209 primers. I never waste primers “clearing” before loading, but I do hold the gun up to a light, and look thru the touch hole, to be sure it is clear. I had several misfires and hang-fires, with loose Pyrodex, in my old Traditions side-lock and #11 caps.

I like the gun again now, but went thru a few tough years with it. Mine is stainless, but I had some corrosion issues a few years ago. I had to drill out the breech plug, and use CPL to free up the firing pin. I have used T7 pellets (2 50gr pellets) in it for a long time. I used to use T/C liquid bore cleaner, back when I had the corrosion problems. Since I started using Traditions foaming bore cleaner (sprayed thru the breech plug with the little plastic tube) two years ago, all the corrosion issues ended. What powder do you use ? I thought about Blackhorn 209 but cost, availability, stories of misfires, easy T7 cleanup with foaming bore cleaner, and a good supply of T7, has kept me from making that change.

I am thankful that the repair worked, especially since NY gave us that special Holliday ML season in the southern zone last year. I expect that Omega will be my primary meat supplier for a while. I usually spend the whole early ML season up in the Adirondacks, where they reopened antlerless ML harvests last year. If I fill my gun buck tag early next year at home in the southern zone, I will head back up there for the late ML season also. It always starts a week before the southern zone. I have had some troubles with that Omega, besides the broken stock. I snapped the trigger off it about 20 years ago, but T/C was great at supplying me a new trigger assembly under warranty. That was the only other mechanical problem. I carried it for about 5 years during regular gun season (I live in a shotgun only zone). I took a deer with it each of those years, even doubling once when a buck showed up 2 minutes after I dropped a big do I didn’t have time to reload, but had my short 870 for backup, and used that on the buck. I stopped using it during regular gun season after I lost a basket-racked 8-point grate I hit at about 170 yards with it. He showed no reaction at my shot and I wrongly assumed that the fresh snow would show blood. I lost his trail after about 300 yards, finding no blood hair. He died in a clump of brush about 50 yards from where I lost his trail. He was quartering away at the shot and I am guessing that the bullet caught one lung. There was no exit wound and no visible blood on the snow. These days, I mostly carry my Marlin M512, during southern zone gun season, which is equally as accurate, packs double the energy at 200 yards, and gives me two more shots. The only trouble is, they cost 5 times as much each. I also struck a branch once, while shooting at a doe during late ML up north, shot under a doe once in the south, due to underestimating the range, got a bad hit and lost another doe down south, and missed a buck and a doe with it after getting new no-line bifocals. I am thankful that bad streak ended with the Omega, with those two deer in the last year.

Beware of the factory laminate stocks. I have one on my Omega, that I managed to break about 15 years ago. I repaired it with Gorilla glue, and a custom machined thru-bolt/nutted front sling stud. It has held up well since then, but I wouldn’t trust the factory originals. It still shoots as good as it did prior to the break (I killed one deer already this year with it, and this old Adirondack doe last year). The break happened, while I was walking across a wood plank floor, in my old barn. The gun was slung on my shoulder. I stuck my right thumb under the sling, to reposition, and the threaded in stud pulled out of the front of the stock. The gun rotated down, with the top of the barrel striking the wood floor. The force of the impact cracked the stock most of the way across the pistol-grip area, but it didn’t break off completely. I pried open the crack, squeezed in some gorilla glue, and clamped it. I think that stuff is stronger than the surrounding wood after it sets up. I also made a new front stud from a cut off 5/16” bolt and put a nut on the back. That won’t be pulling out again. This is all that remains of the circa 1883 barn, that my great great grandfather built. The break occurred right about where that board is laying on the center section of the floor. Hopefully, it will be gone by mid summer.

Apparently, they smoke a lotta dope down there. Blueberry whirl milkshake IPA ? I’d rather choke down dog puke. I’ll bet a lot of it gets poured down the drain.

I am having the last of the pickled heart for lunch. No more till next Valentine’s Day, as long as I get some deer and my wife cooperates.

I have killed about the same number with a crossbow, as I have with a vertical bow, and they all felt the same. So did those that I killed with my shotguns, rifle, and ML. Meat is Meat, but it is a little more exciting for me, down on the ground, regardless of the weapon.

I like hunting from the ground, but only when there are no other hunters within a few miles. If there are, then I am a lot more comfortable 5 to 10 ft up. That way, I don’t have to worry at all about getting shot, or shooting someone else by mistake. At least on the pancake-flat ground, like we have at home. I did manage to kill one from the ground last year, up in the Dacks. That was my first deer from the ground in a few years. Even though it was a doe, it was a lot more exiting than the two bucks that I killed at home from up in a tree last year.

Only one elevated tree stand fatality in the state last year and I knew the guy. What are the odds of that ?

I would like to see archery season split up as follows: Give the recurve and longbow folks the first crack: October 1-14. Call that “traditional archery season”. The “modern” part would run October 15, until opening day of gun, and compounds and crossbows could be used in that part. I think such a compromise would appeal to many more hunters, than the current structure. Personally, I could care less if full inclusion of the crossbow ever passes, so long as we can keep the best two weeks of southern zone archery season for the crossbow, and have that special early antlerless gun season, that started last year. The folks who are getting screwed the worst, by the current structure, is crossbow hunters and merchants up in the northern zone. They don’t even get a single weekend before the guns come in, with early ML season, the way things are structured currently. The radical anti-crossbow NYB group must have more political influence up there.

Note that the raccoon is the number one nest predator in nearly all of the studies. They may be legally taken year round in NY, if they are “damaging”. They are also the easiest furbearer there is to trap. All you got to do is plant s few rows of sweetcorn in a garden, and you will get “damage”, as soon as it starts making ears. Then get yourself some box traps and bait them with peanut butter coated marshmallows, and you will get coons. Dog-proofs with s little cat food poured in the bottom work well also, as do foothold traps placed under shallow water with the pan wrapped in tin-foil. After you catch them, kill them and bury them (until regular trapping season opens). After that, you can just throw them out for the buzzards, since the hides are worthless.

They were very easy to put up by myself. I made the platforms in my shop last winter. I pre-drilled the front corners of the platforms and legs for 1/2” carriage bolts, which I used to attach the front legs to the platforms. At the trees, I bolted on the front legs while the platforms were down on the ground, then stood them up, leaning against trees, and lag bolted the platforms to the trees. After they were up, I framed on the 2x4 walls, tied the legs together with a 2x4, and added the barnwood siding. Eventually, I will replace most of my stands with this type, since they are so comfortable to hunt from and effective for killing deer. They should also be maintenance-free, although I will check the lags every few years and add more as needed.

Praying for you quick recovery.

The high winds yesterday blew off all the snow. It would have been perfect for skating this morning.

My daughter was wishing she had brought along her ice skates. Almost the whole lake was perfect for skating this morning.

I only killed one turkey, a young fall hen, using 3” 12 gauge #5 lead, and an an extra-full choke tube with my Remington 870. It didn’t seem very “sporting” to me, but the bird was about as good eating as a store-bought butterball (according to my wife and kids), even the drumsticks were tender. My buddy’s have given me several spring toms, and the drumsticks were so tough and stringy they were nearly inedible, The breasts was just so so. Certainly, spring Tom’s ain’t worth killing for the meat, but I could get into it for the “sport”. That’s why I plan on using my crossbow or my full-choke, Winchester single shot .410, with 2-1/2” #6’s. May as well give them birds a chance, and up the challenge a little bit. There are plenty of them around, over at my folks place at least. I watched a flock of about a dozen over there this evening out in the clover plot. I plan on setting up my decoy about 20 yards from field edge tree blind, and trying to keep shots at about that range. I killed three deer out of that tree blind last season, and it would be cool to add a turkey to the tally. I will set up my pop-up blind in the back of the woods over there, about 300 ft from the nearest mobil-home (there’s a trailer park past that end of the woods). I saw a big Tom turkey roosted back there while I was deer hunting in December. That end of the woods is too close to those double-wides to use a gun, but good for a crossbow (250 ft setback required).

I put in a couple of these last year, one on a small cherry tree and the other on a big poplar, and they are awesome. The 48” square platforms are about 9 ft high and made from plastic decking. The back of the platform is lag-bolted to the tree. The two front legs are 8 ft pt landscape timber’s, with concrete blocks below. The 3 ft high walls are framed with pt 2x4’s and sided with weathered barnwood. I use an adjustable, cushioned office chair on the platform. The walls block the wind, keep me very safe, mostly hidden from the deer, and make great gun rests. Cost was minimal, since I had all the materials leftover from other jobs, except the landscape timber’s, which were $ 5.99 ea at Home Depot last spring. I also paid $ 8 at a barn sale, for the office chair that I shot 3 deer off from last season, from the one on the cherry tree. That included a 3.5 year old buck. I also killed my first ever deer in the rain under a tree umbrella, from that stand, on New Year’s Day of this year.

We are up north of Harrisville this weekend, to visit the in-laws. There is about 20 inches of ice on the lake. I caught a 12” perch (kept for mother in law), and three 14-16” smallmouth bass (released)on minnows with tip-ups yesterday. The temperature was in the low twenties yesterday, but it was quite windy and only comfortable when I used the sled for a windbreak. I drilled some holes Friday, but it was too cold (10 degrees) for much fishing then. Too cold again this morning, when it was -1 at sunrise and is up to 12 now. I wanted to try for brook trout thru the ice, but the weather didn’t cooperate. Looks like I will have to delay that pursuit, until we come up next over Easter. Ice fishing, on days like these, really makes me appreciate warmer weather, open water, and a boat. Ice fishing is a lot better when the sun is shining and the wind ain’t blowing. No such luck this year.

I am not a big fan of perch. I cleaned that one for my mother in law, who really likes them. I prefer bass, because the meat has more oil in it, which keeps it moist thru the healthier cooking processes, like grilling, baking, and broiling . Perch are definitely better fried though.

Spot on. Just one perch and three smallmouth for me thru the ice this morning. The best thing about fishing on days like this, is that it gives you more appreciation for warm weather, a boat, and open water.

Fortunately, the hunting and fishing was pretty good last year, so we didn’t need to purchase much meat from the store. I got venison and bass pretty close to a dollar per pound, after subtracting input costs (ammo, licenses, food plot fertilizer, hooks and fuel). This 20 cent Remington slugger yielding about 90 pounds of boneless venison was a big help, as were three more deer taken with my ML, and other pre-Covid purchased ammo. Hopefully, I will be able to get a few with my crossbow this year, which will help hold food costs down. I still have a bunch of those 20 cent sluggers left, and a good supply of ML ammo (thanks to Larry), in case I don’t . I would go broke, starve, or freeze to death if I had to depend on perch and ice-fishing for food. This 12 incher that I caught this morning cost me $10 in minnows.

With the open border, and big northward migration that has been going on for over a year, you were lucky to find any guide.