scolopaxmatt

If we're just dreaming here, I'd have to say a month in Maine or Minnesota hunting grouse and woodcock with a good friend. Nothing like living out of a truck cap and a tent to clear the mind and calm the nerves.

This is good news. I hope there's some sort of press release to let us know when we can again purchase ammo online. I've had a hell of a time finding RST shells and Kent steel shot larger than #5.

A deep fly ball headed to left field... And it's outta the park!

What with it being summer and all, we find ourselves with a lot of free time on this site NOT talking about outdoor pursuits. So in the spirit of summer I present a theory as to the origin and whereabouts of some of our more mysterious members. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html?_r=0

Priceless. I especially like that "Tweaked his groin" was deemed worth quoting by a national news outlet. City foxes, thugs really. But seriously, no mention of rabies. And a fox is really just a small dog. How hard could it be do kick it or something?

Nobody who actually likes to spend time outdoors would take that post. Better off making hunting/trapping/fishing a pre req for ECO's and summer interns.

As promised, here's some good news for a change. http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/field-notes/nation%E2%80%99s-duck-populations-remain-strong?dom=fas&loc=contentwell&lnk=nations-duck-populations-remain-strong

http://blog.pennlive...may_be_ret.html F'ing A Bobwhite Quail!

Thanks for the further reading Mike. Thanks also for balancing out my doom and gloom. I'd post more good news if I saw any, but it seems as though the sky is always falling. Conscripting birders into the habitat restoration game would be a huge get. In my experience most birders are either former hunters or avid fishermen. In any event they would make excellent allies.

Agreed. It's her soul anyway. I was gone, but I enjoy the company here too much. Thanks for taking the Luke Bryan thing in stride guys, it's all in jest.

Burn them. Throw milk over your left shoulder. Draw a circle in grouse blood and burn them in the middle. Only then will you be safe from the antichrist.

But seriously, he just came to party.

I'm gone!

Ok. This place has officially gotten way out of hand. I will not abide Luke Bryan's presence.

ALBANY | A day after enacting a promised ban on fracking, New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens has announced that he'll step down in July. The Open Space Institute, a Manhattan-based non-profit land preservation group, said Wednesday that Martens will join the group this summer as a consultant focusing on national climate change policy. Martens headed the group before he was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to head DEC in 2011. Martens said in an email to DEC staff Tuesday evening that his executive deputy, Marc Gerstman, will serve as acting commissioner until Cuomo appoints a successor. On Monday, Martens finalized the state's ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, a decision he had announced in December.

Nope. Our local paper ran that photo on the front page. I had the same reaction. My wife posits it as the only photo from some officers phone that didn't feature gratuitous high fiving or flexing.

And some more bad news. Sorry all, I'm just the messenger. http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/the-conservationist/senate-budget-undoes-water-rule-cuts-conservation-funds?dom=fas&loc=contentwell&lnk=senate-budget-undoes-water-rule-cuts-conservation-funds

I'm sure this will be taken up by the usual crowd, but I'll post it anyway. If true, a bummer. But can we MAKE it a lie? http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/flytalk/epa-study-there-will-be-no-trout-east-of-the-mississippi-in-90-years?dom=fas&loc=contentwell&lnk=epa-study-there-will-be-no-trout-east-of-the-mississippi-in-90-years And a companion video.

Yes, communities are comprised of individuals. Usually this process involves some cooperation/concession for the benefit of all in that community. You are clearly not a part of any community.

The well I was referring to, metaphorically, is the community of hunters and huntresses. The voting public has a tenuously positive view of our proclivities. Let's do what we can to keep it that way. But I think you knew what I meant.

That's some good food for thought Mike. I certainly won't give up on the idea of an upland stamp, but in the meantime an RGS membership is what I can do. But, if we're dreaming, I could throw out an overly simplified proposal here in this thread given a little bit of time. I'll look around some and see what's out there in the way of real proposals as well. As always, thanks for the pertinent discussion and good luck with the doves!

In the big wide world of business there's this buzzword; optics. Something happens; an employee shoots a bunch of people, gets caught stepping out on his lady, whatever. Those who have a stake step back for a second and someone says, "What are the optics on this?" What he means is, what does this LOOK like to other people. Never mind what it IS. We as a community need to be aware of the "optics" of this thing. Like I said, I don't care what you do. I get it. You impetuous, rebellious, a true American patriot. Good for you, but don't poison the well.

Does anyone else remember when Mike's post was quoted by an animal rights activist? Other people read this stuff. I don't particularly like the bloom of confederate flags here, but you are free to do as you wish. Just know that what we say and perhaps inadvertently convey here reflects on you, me by association and hunters in general.

So then sales of the duck stamp go into a federal fund designated specifically for wetland protection/restoration? That makes sense. I would think the same could be done for upland habitat. As to specific proposals, I haven't heard or seen one. Mostly it's just chatter, most of which essentially sounds like a desire to carbon copy the duck model. I first came across the idea in Frank Woolners "Timberdoodle" which was published in '74 I think. He seemed to think it was only a matter of a few years. But, here we are. Truth is, I am very confused. While hunting and fishing aren't particularly complicated, the legislation allowing and surrounding them and how these come to be sometimes baffles me.

Long story short, I stopped in at a local shop and there among a rack of Beretta's was an ATI Cavalry OU. I've never heard of ATI before and a quick search on the net only revealed it as a Turkish made shotgun imported by this ATI. Anyone know anything at all about this company beyond what their site sells?