BellR

If the used 835 is around the same price or less than a new 500, I would go for the 835. It will allow you to shoot 3 1/2" mags which you may never use, but it's nice to have the option.

Ahh, okay. Looked more red than the rest, but must have just been the angle it was hanging.

Is it just me, or does it look like that small 6 is wounded high in the shoulder? Might just be a leaf, but it looks odd compared to the rest of the leaves out there.

The only hunting TV show I'll watch is Meat Eater. The rest are basically what I lovingly call "Hornography". At least on that show they put proper emphasis on using the meat rather than hunting for a large set of antlers.

It sure makes all of those deer crossing sings make more sense...

After owning both types, I would never buy a sit in again. My sit on top has way more storage, is more comfortable, you aren't sitting in water all day if you take a wave, and I can use it for snorkeling, diving, spearfishing and fishing easily.

The way I see it, there should either be full inclusion, or if crossbow has a separate season then compound bow should have the exact same season. If you want to hunt with longbow or recurve and feel as though you need a special season then I am actually fine with that. However, in my opinion compounds and crossbows should be restricted to the same seasons. They are both mechanically assisted, and arguing that compounds are more "traditional" than crossbows is like arguing whether dirt bikes or Harleys are more like bicycles.

Just a thought, but most of the guys who care about measuring aren't going to be conservative since they seem to care more about the numbers than the deer itself. I know there are a few hunters who are more about the hunt that measure, but a LOT of hunters I know that talk about scores really only care about the trophy.

Velocity?

If you do decide to go with a new shotgun, I would avoid the newer Remington 870. I have two friends who bought them because they were cheap, and both complain that they rust if you even look at them. One has already sold his, and the other is in the process. Not sure if its the new finish or if they changed their steel, but I have heard nothing but complaints about the new ones.

It depends. Do you intend to hunt anything other than deer? If you can imagine yourself hunting turkey, ducks, squirrels, ect. I would recommend a shotgun to begin with. A good pump shotgun in 20 or 12 gauge will take just about any animal you can hunt and probably last your entire lifetime if its properly taken care of. Usually, for new hunters I recommend finding a shotgun that has: 1) A smooth bore on the barrel it comes with (if it only comes with one) 2) Removable chokes 3) Is capable of shooting magnum loads (3" for 20g and 3 1/2" for 12g) 4) There are rifled barrels with cantilever mounts available (some new guns come with these in addition to the smooth bore barrel) This lets you change the configuration a bit as you become more experienced and have a better idea of what you like hunting. Most modern shotguns fit these criteria, but if you are looking at used guns they are things to look for. If you only intend to hunt deer, I would suggest maybe looking at a Savage 7mm-08. It is a very capable cartridge and for the price is a good gun.

My thought is the further you get from Albany/Schenectady the less pressure you will get. Never hunted that one before, but if it was me I would probably drive right past it to Yatesville Falls, Rural Grove, Charleston or Lost Valley State Forests. They are only a few more min away and they have a lot more area in them. I have hunted all four of those and have seen deer on each.

Took off 11/19 to 12/2. A day of driving on either end, but for the rest I will finally be back up in the woods hunting instead of the swamp down here.

Obviously, you haven't spent that much time in the 'dacks. On small (less than 5k acres) parcels I agree, but up there it's a whole different story

Haha, I think that is a reflection off of his computer screen showing a bit of the inside of his house, as is what looks like a person sleeping on the right of the top picture.

That one with the white patch will make a nice mount someday...

Technically, if the land is vacant (unimproved), not fenced and not posted you can access it for hunting and fishing. http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8371.html With that said, I don't do it.

For Fulton Co. there is also the Ephratah Rod and Gun Club. I think there is also one up by Caroga Lake.

My wife likes hers. Her feet generally get cold first and prompt her to call it a day, and with these she can extend her morning and evening sits by an hour or so.

Not stupid questions at all. For how to get out to the correct hardness, I figured that out on the last few by I've if two methods: 1) A LOT of research or 2) ask someone who knows better on a bladesmith forum. I think I have finally figured out the right temp, quench and tenpering process for this combination, but I'm still reading to make sure. Damascus is probably the hardest to work with though... Most normal steels and alloys have pretty well known great treating processes, and if you don't have the equipment at home to do the heat treating there are done good places that you can send the knives to and they will hear year for you for about $10 per knife I did ny first few knives that way until my friend built his forge. I'm still not up to par on making my own Damascus billet... If I had a good forge here at home I "might" try it, but that is complex and for the price, the Alabama Damascus billets on eBay are actually a decent price. If someone wanted to get started in this, you could buy a blank, grind it down to a working blade, send it out for heat treatment, and then finish it with a good polish and put on the hardware and handle. Basically, you could make a basic knife with nothing more than a belt Sanders and done time.

Here is the knife and billet after plasma cutting... And here is the knife itself... I'm hoping to start cleaning the edges up and starting on the blade grind next week.

Not in the counties that you listed, but they are in region 4. Canajoharie Fish and Game Club Sprout Brook Rod and Gun Club There is also one that area that is a "Cat and Coon Club", but I cant remember the whole name of it.

Didn't know it had been around a while, and I agree, not exactly apples to apples. On the other hand, not even close to the results you would expect if the scent killers did anything close to what they said.

Saw this article in my inbox, thought I would post it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2015/10/can-scent-elimination-sprays-beat-the-nose-of-a-drug-sniffing-dog?dom=fas&loc=todayonfas&lnk=IMG&spMailingID=23768545&spUserID=ODY3ODQ1Mzc0NzMS1&spJobID=661672281&spReportId=NjYxNjcyMjgxS0 Basically says don't waste your money on scent killer sprays, they don't work at all. I always wondered if they were worth the effort, I think this year I'm not going to bother.

The old ones are also good canned