Jennifer

I don't think you can save it that way... it's just to be able to read it. Sorry about that.

My only argument with this, is respectfully, what happens when we do not get a doe tag? I apply every year and get one only 1/3 of the time in general (meaning I typically get one every three years, only after I get two preference points). I hunt for meat. I am very excited when I get a doe tag because I will absolutely tag a doe for my meat. If statewide AR are applied, it greatly diminishes my chance of taking home any meat if I did not draw a doe tag any given year. I pay the same for my license as every other NYS citizen. I can't afford to drive far distances to go to a WMU that has extra doe tags. I understand that I hardly represent the majority in my opinion but it is very frustrating to think that politics, social issues and guys that want larger antlers can have such an impact on how my family hunts and feeds itself. I would feel better about this issue if it was truly about what is best for the deer, but frankly it is not. Best wishes.

For those having trouble with the formatting, once you open a page of the document in a PDF viewer, go to "View" -> "Rotate View" -> "Counterclockwise". You can then zoom in and read more easily.

Ever hunt turkey...?

Beautiful birds. I'd love to waterfowl hunt someday.

The primary vector for deer ticks are actually mice, believe it or not! Though of course, deer and other mammals do carry them as well.

Tough weekend. No new scratching, but they aren't picking insects in the fields, either. I haven't observed any meat in the beech nuts or any acorns in my hunting locations. Maybe they are in the maple and ash seeds? Hard to say. Not a peep or feather all weekend.

Haha! This isn't true unless the bird has some serious health issues. The crop moves things along pretty quick. Sometimes birds can get into berries that have already been fermented, though! But, in this case, there are many similar stories about grouse in particular being friendly with people. There are a lot of various theories as to why.

Wish that doctors weren't using old info... I don't want to scare you but the lack of bullseye rash doesn't mean much. Though it's true that the longer the tick is biting, the higher the chance of infection. Be very careful pulling ticks. If you squeeze or overly irritate them they regurgitate back into the bloodstream and that can cause infection, too.

I'm not sure if you are missing this point, but squirrels are very much edible. I have shot nuisance squirrel before (legally, in season) and we ate them. They were fantastic. We ate all the meat... The chickens got the offal and the crows got the rest. Not a speck wasted.

If the tree is live it does look like porcupine damage.

Yep- mine was just extra goofy because I have it in both eyes, and each is significantly oblong in a direction 90° different to the other. Even with special contacts they wouldn't stay in place. I'd love to consider Lasik surgery someday!

I have always worn glasses. I tried contacts once, I needed special custom ones because apparently I have goofy shaped eyes-- who knows. Anyhow, they would rotate in my eye and everything would get blurry unless I was constantly fixing them. It was sort of a nightmare! So for now, it's glasses. I just clean them well in the morning before I go, and keep a few cloth handkerchiefs (soft ones) in my pocket or pack where they will stay dry. I'll use these to clean my glasses off if I get a lot of moisture on them. When I am having a lot of fogging on those special sorts of days where the conditions are right, I will try to breathe in through my nose and exhale through my mouth and it seems to help.

I'll admit that I get a little jealous at all you guys that get reception in the woods. I don't like to play with my phone when hunting, but being able to check the radar would be very handy sometimes! When I do get reception I really like Weather Underground (wunderground.com) for radar and such, they have advanced radar modes and storm tracks for weather nerds like me.

Yes-- as medical science advances, we are learning about all these lovely co-infections one can get from deer ticks. These can be just as bad as Lyme disease and when paired with Lyme disease or with one another, can really wreck one's health. If you get bit or are in a tick-prone area, it's wise to educate yourself on this as many doctors aren't even aware! Don't be afraid to ask questions at the doctor's office. These co-infections are becoming more common, or rather, they are being discovered in sick people more commonly as of late. Here are some of nasties that ticks can carry: http://lymedisease.org/pdf/coinfections.pdf

Those might be "Deer Keds". They are generally harmless but I guess if they bite you the bite can last a long time and hurt the whole while. The Keds tend to like to hang out around your hairline, I hate them! If you google image search "deer ked" see if that's what you were seeing. They are flighted but their wings fall off once they land on a 'host'. Some people mistake them for deer ticks.

Hard to diagnos from this one photo, but when it looks "clean" and occurs on the brisket like this it is often a Hydrocyst (also called a Seroma). They usually aren't harmful to the deer unless they get so big that they impair mobility. The meat is totally safe to eat if you do take him... Here's some more information: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12150_12220-26655--,00.html If you do a google image search for "deer hydrocyst" you will get a lot of similar photos. Hope this helps!

Sorry to hear this. It's a good reminder that this is a bad year for ticks, please everyone check yourselves when you get home. If you have a SO to help, that's great, otherwise invest in a handheld mirror. They like to get into places where the sun don't shine if you know what I mean! Lyme is nothing to mess with. It gets downplayed a lot in the medical field but if it hits you wrong it can really mess up your entire life, trust me!

Dan Loge is a favorite. He and Guy Coheleach are masters of that style and I can only aspire to it. And yes I know Thomas' work. He does not live too far from me (maybe 45 min) though I have not had the privilege to meet him! It is a scratch and sniff, though I don't recommend it. It's only for the hardcore duck folk. They call them waterfowl for a reason... Joking aside, I had to find a way to smash my face into the frame with my art for a promo for a show. It's contrived but usually when I am painting I'm a bit of a ragtag mess. Eccentric, some call it, I think....

Alright, why not! At work.... Always nice after a day of deer hunting to be greeted by a loyal pet....

Once the insect population starts getting killed back by cold and freezing, turkeys will need to rely more heavily on forage in the leaf litter. Scratching seems a bit "later" than usual this year but keep your eyes peeled for scratchings. If you find old mixed with fresh, you know they are returning to that area to feed more than once. Around here, fall turkeys rarely talk to us unless they get separated. It doesn't hurt to call but it also doesn't mean they aren't around. I can't tell you the number of times I've been fall hunting and called with no answer nearly all day, then walked right into a flock! It has been my observation that areas with a lot of ground predators (coyotes, fox) also keeps turkeys more quiet in the fall, as these predators have learned to run in to turkey calling. I have called in more coyotes and foxes by accident with my turkey calls in the last 5 years than I have called in actual turkeys! The turkeys learn this pattern too and only chat if necessary, it seems. We hit some smoking fresh scratchings today but never managed to bump into the birds that made them. Still a fun day! The deer have also really started opening up scrapes aggressively on the property I hunt in the last few days.

Good luck to all of you turkey chasers tomorrow in WNY. I'd love to break a flock so my husband can experience the chaos for the first time! Maybe we can gently bump some deer to the bowhunters out there, too. Best wishes to all!

I hunt mostly in Catt. co so I hear you. I have a few theories why but that would take this topic seriously off track. I've only had the fortune of getting permission to hunt one additional property here, which is of course limiting as all the properties I used to hunt when younger have closed off to us. I'm really lucky that she accepts offers for help around her property and free eggs from my chickens as 'payment' because I can't afford the cash to lease property. I'm very thankful for her permission.

Surely a bummer for those of us that can just barely afford the sport to begin with.

You can get "ASK" cards and stickers for free from DEC regional offices... I'm not sure if you can order them online or get them mailed. It's worth a call. The ask cards are as you described, it's a two part thing where the landowner gets your information and you get a little signature from the landowner saying that they granted you permission (they are able to revoke at any time should they wish). The stickers are blue squares that you can put on posted signs, showing your willingness to possibly allow access if people take the time to ask you directly (and you are okay with it, of course). I have them on my posted signs. They look like this: To date, I have never seen these used other than the ones I put on my posted signs! Sad...