knehrke

I'm not sure whether we can eradicate coyotes - Western states have been trying for years with no success, but lots of $$ flushed down the john - but we sure did a number on wolves. I'm sure most on here know, but wolves were eradicated in NY in the 1800s. Coyotes moved through Canada and filled the niche left by their absence. They picked up wolf and dog DNA along the way to make up what is now the Eastern coyote genetic background. I'm not sure that our current culture is amenable to eradication through bounties, trapping, and any-means-necessary. Most folks just don't know enough to care. It is like invasive species in our woodlands. I hear people saying, "It's green, so it's good, right? Nature and all". The disconnect is unreal.

Candy? I thought it said "doe in heat" urine?!? Buddy of mine bough like a gallon of that stuff locally, splashed it all over his stand and even himself, I told him that a bunch of guys were dying laughing because they'd stood around drinking beer and peeing in a bucket the night before. But he hasn't caught COVID, so he has that working for him. I honestly don't recall much about the Lyme vaccine for people (which was discontinued in 2002), but I know that our vet 15 years ago told us that the efficacy of the existing vaccine for dogs didn't make it worthwhile. Eventually, it was taken off the market. At some point, a new one must have emerged because that is what our current dogs received. It came highly recommended from the same vet who'd poo-poo'd the first one. Back to people, there's a new Pfizer vaccine candidate for Lyme that's undergoing phase II trials, as well as a monoclonal antibody shot that would be administered yearly if it makes the grade. Fingers crossed.

Current hunting practices do little except to push the 'yotes around. Where there is good habitat, there will be dogs. With my property across from a park/refuge, there is little to no hope of my being able to eradicate them from my land. But i sure would like to drop a few more before the year ends.

Absolutely! This stuff rocks. I also planted Antler King Honey Hole - less seed for the $ since it's coated in some orange stuff, but easier to see on planting - and recommend it as well.

Fletch, my condolences on your mother passing. Like you, I would wonder whether the vaccine exacerbated her existing issues. I am sorry for your loss. Moho81, I've heard from a couple of folks now who've had persistent fatigue and/or a three-day headache. It's the vast minority, but more than simple chance. And I have no clue as to the trigger. Generally healthy folks in their 40s and 50s, but again, anecdotal evidence. Thanks for sharing. FastEddie - yep. The rollout system in this state has been atrocious. I spent five hours trying to get my Mom an appointment when she became eligible. My buddy who had the heart transplant used the cancellation hotline to get an appointment the next day, but he had to go to Buffalo. And it doesn't have to be like this. A colleague of mine at UAB developed an app that they use down there where you can get notified immediately of a slot opening in your preferred region, or if they have excess vaccine available that would go to waste otherwise - you hit a button and get there in 30 minutes, or your shot is given to the next available. I also heard through the grapevine that Jersey had a list of the first ten million recipients ready to go well in advance of their getting the vaccine. After all, they did have months to prepare, right? That seems reasonable. As usual, NY will muddle through this thing. Keep the faith. This is the endgame.

I don't know how to get to the store...because I don't have a car. Can we not create problems where they don't exist?

Ummm...being smart enough versus having access are two very different things. I'm concerned about TCIII's mother-in-law with Alzheimers. There has been very little data on AZ patients receiving the vaccine. You can self-report side effects to the adverse reaction database, and I would encourage you to do so. It's possible that this is a complication that was unforeseen. Hopefully though it's just a blip in the radar, given that AZ patients tend to be impacted disproportionately by stress in general.

You guys are killing it! Is there a word that's the opposite of offended? If so, that's what I am. Thick-skinned, maybe? That's what I tell all my trainees is the #1 attribute needed to be a successful researcher. When you put your work out into the world, you got to expect the world is going to chew it up, spit it out, and crap on your dreams lol. But hopefully at the end of the day, year, millennium, you've contributed something useful to society. Maybe answered an important question, like "tubes versus cages?" "to pee from the stand or not?" "what's the best cartridge for deer?"

You are comparing apples and oranges with your graphic on masks. It's like comparing the buck take during bow versus during gun and saying that the weapon is the reason, without considering maybe there's just more people in the woods. The second surge has historically been worse than the first in pandemics. There are some statistics that suggest masks aren't as great as folks claim, but that's not one of them. Onto the topic of this thread: vaccines. Over a month ago, someone reported that several close friends ended up in the ICU from the vaccine. I tried to follow up on that, with no success. I also dived into the adverse reactions database to look for actual reported cases of adverse reactions requiring hospitalization, but consistent with my observations, there doesn't seem to be a significant impact beyond a day or mild myalgia or cold symptoms or a headache. Does anyone have personal knowledge of a bona fide vaccine reaction with a severe adverse outcome? Please, no internet rumors or woman who had to have her appendix removed type stories. I'm honestly intrigued. With all of the vaccine concern, it's been long enough and enough folks through the pipeline that we should be able to put fears of short-term consequences at least to bed.

I'm the first to post today?!? Winner, winner, chicken dinner. FE wants some gender-related light banter to start the day. I'm game. Even prior to this current "it's cool to be fluid" movement, anonymous questioning revealed that nearly a third of women reported a female-female interaction in their youth. And there have been stories around for ages about the uncertainty and angst related to maturation of the female form. Finally, how many folks knew someone that was labeled "a tomgirl" when they were younger? This is not a new issue, it's merely come out of the closest, so to speak, and migrated to the male side. Whether you agree or disagree with their choices, on an individual basis IMHO it's always best to treat others like you'd want to be treated. Trite, but true. People are people are people. That having been said, the organizers/owners of these sporting forums need to protect their players, and with new issues must come new rules (unfortunate, but true). So yeah, I agree with many on here that say we need to restrict participation. The welfare of many comes before the rights of a few, when there's documentable harm involved.

So, 14 pages isn't enough discussion lol? It's got to be March, "the longest month" as Patrick McManus dubbed it, and everybody's looking for distractions. It's censorship when it's done officially by the government. Private message board owners or moderators can do as they dang well please. There is no mandated policy that all opinions need to be entertained. Personally, I'm not offended by anything I read on here - I try to judge by actions, not words, and even then I don't think somebody can be judged based on the worst thing they've ever done (thanks, Doom Patrol). I have good friends that I don't argue politics with, not because we are censuring each other, but because no matter what we say, we are going to end up agreeing to disagree (or punching each other in the mouth). Sometimes you just need to end the conversation before it degenerates to that level. Particularly on the internet, where it seems inevitable...

Sure it does. But using provocative terms that didn't exist a few years ago provokes conditioned reactions. I'd rather folks simply say what they mean, as you did above. It is too easy to label things.

I see cancel culture up close and personal every day. It's disheartening, but not everything that you disagree with should automatically be labeled cancel culture. It's become a rallying cry of the far right, much like the left calling the right Nazis. Words intended to provoke an immediate and intense reaction because that's how we've been conditioned. I'd suggest less buzzwords. I appreciate a well constructed argument, even one I disagree with lol.

You are correct - most folks won't blink twice from COVID. But the virus is using us as hosts to mutate, and the next iteration might not be so friendly. Also, there are many unknowns about long-term repercussions from infection. I guess you could say the same regarding the vaccine, but my informed perspective says get the shot. Up to you, of course, ultimately. As for folks looking for appointments, here's two suggestions. I'm not sure about today, but the Rochester city site that was limited to city residents had an excess of vaccine and opened eligibility more widely a few days ago. Also, the state has a cancellation hotline that a buddy of mine used to get an appointment in Buffalo a day later. Good luck.

Damn right!! Twitter is the death of the universe. Figured I'd get a final post in before this thread gets shut down. Also, got to laugh at the insanity of saying: "I never said a word about believing the theory (sic) just stating that believing in one (the theory) is not worse than believing in the other." Even my limited intellect recognizes the apparent contradiction there lol. That is a very...nuanced...distinction you're trying to make. And I never said a word about Twitter.

You know, Grouse, for once I agree with you lol. We all know how impressionable youth can be. And sometimes small fears can be exacerbated by constant exposure. So yeah, I think that a teenager's natural inclination to...distrust...what is happening to their body can be magnified and turned malignant by the current climate. This is a very real issue. What I don't know is how to combat it. I suspect that it is part of the evolution toward a more compassionate society, and that the "irreversible damage" that occurs is no worse than the irreversible damage brought about by most of our teenage years. I know I damaged many, many brain cells, what few were functional at least, with the stuff I did in my younger years. As with most issues teenage, you can't dictate anything to them. It's all educate not alienate and low key osmosis. Interesting that gender dysphoria is almost uniquely female, whereas trans- folks can come from either sex. Lots of good questions to think about there.

I applaud you for your tolerance and understanding. I'm sure God will smite the wicked soon.

Nope, it wasn't convenience, I purposefully ignored you lol!! Seriously, though, there are always going to be anecdotes, and given the topic, they can be "big news". But if this is such an issue, then why in all my years of watching sports haven't I noticed it yet? Maybe I'm blind. And maybe it's just not a significant problem - with all due respect to the women who were injured. If you look hard enough, you can find anything on the internet. Philosophically, I agree with NCM that there should be standards in place to help prevent injury and maintain the integrity of the sport. But you know, guys who want to compete in girls leagues right now can, gender identity nonwithstanding. It happens.

You know, from my conversations with young folks, it seems like this is much less an issue to them than it is to us. And you don't have to be gender queer to make a splash playing sports in a league intended for participants from the opposite sex. Women have petitioned and won the right to compete in guy's leagues for years. That having been said, I do think that sports should be stratified based on sex, not gender. And I suspect that the example Grouse has repeatedly brought forward is the exception rather than the rule. There's always going to be somebody who wants to make a point, but think about it...when you play sports, don't you want to be challenged? How would it feel to play t-ball with kindergardeners? You could be a big shot. But who would want to? I got to think that it's the same for gender queer folks. After all, they're just people looking to be comfortable with themselves, same as everybody else.

I don't really understand it myself, but my teenage daughter was ?? her gender back in high school, and when somebody you love goes through it, I think you become a little more understanding. I also don't get why it matters to anybody. How do these questions impact my life in any way whatsoever? Different strokes and all. So my attitude is lIve and let live. It would be different if someone told me that I wasn't the gender I'd thought myself to be for my whole life lol...

Reading through the above posts, I can not find much to disagree with...NY was a test dummy, Cuomo's handing of it had some good / some bad, and the guy won't own his mistakes. He is constantly touting how he relies on the "science" to inform decision-making, but SOME of what he's done is in no way based on science. In fact, I would argue that the vaccine roll-out in particular has been mismanaged horribly. Not defining what immunocompromised means has led most doctors to throw their hands up in the air in frustration, rather than risk being fined and losing their license from poking the wrong person. My best buddy is a 53 year old heart transplant patient (3 yrs ago). There is no guidance on when he might be eligible. That stinks. We can't lay full blame at his feet, but the man is in denial if he thinks he's a hero.

Did they not find the body of the 70 yr old suspect floating dead recently? I agree it all seems a bit strange. Hunting Braddocks Bay maybe 20 years ago by myself out of a small john boat, I had a guy motor up to me and start a dispute over where I was hunting. I'd already set up my decoys, and it was approaching first light, on public land, so after my initial explanation and invite to hunt together were rebuffed, I ignored him. To my surprise, he proceeded to run him boat ONTO mine. I was literally starting to sink, being pushed under as he revved his engine. Anyway, I finally got him to back off by telling him that I knew who he was and where he lived (I didn't). Luckily, I got the boat onto shore and was able to drain it without further incident. But the confrontation could have turned South easily - I legitimately felt like my life was in danger, and there was no path to just walk away. Being that it all happened without witnesses, I was left without recourse, and shortly thereafter stopped hunting the bay. Life goes on, I suppose. Until it doesn't.

Amen, brother. My colleagues in academia think I'm hopelessly redneck and my friends who I hunt and fish with think that I'm a brainiac dweeb. But my wife thinks i'm the man, and that's all that really matters to me at the end of the day lol. Because she's a hot Australian AND has an endowed chair at our University. She is firing on all cylinders. Need I say more?

Not sure about a new standard, I need to read up, but I will state that as someone who uses PCR genotyping on a daily basis, setting the threshold for positive at 40 cycles seemed IMHO to be overly sensitive, resulting in excessive false positives. The consensus appeared to be that it was better to have false positives than false negatives. As for modifying the vaccine to accommodate new variants, in theory it's simple. The mRNA is a synthetic reagent, and we can change the sequence at will to mimic the viral mutations. No escape!! In practice, it may be slightly more difficult (some mutations may result in a less antigenic protein fragment that just doesn't stimulate your immune system as effectively).

Exactly!! Kudos.