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Galliform

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Posts posted by Galliform

  1. Interesting: all of the reading material says ticks only last a few days without a host or moisture. But I've always suspected they are hardy little buggers. It's amazing they can follow heat. I've read they also follow CO2, even climbing up an open window emitting a persons CO2 exhales.

    3 months is a serious long time.

    My son left his backpack in my shed. I went in the shed 1 week later, and picked up a tick. So I know they are hardy. Where did this tick get moisture from in a wood shed ????

     

    I hear you. My experience is anecdotal only, as is yours... but I strongly suspect that they can live in a house/closet/whatever for longer than a few days. 3 months seems like a long time and I don't think that they would all live that long, but it was a surprising eye opener for me. This was an adult deer tick, by the way. I don't know how long nymphs would last.

     

    • Like 1
  2. When I was in Canada and shot a male bear (boar), the outfitter told me that Canadians save the ivory bone in the boar's pecker, skin it, and dry it out for a swizzle stick for stirring mixed drinks. I told him I was a beer drinker only.

     

    Random trivia that is probably useless: that bone is called the baculum and is found in many mammal species.

  3. It'll be interesting to see when exactly that first real winter snow hits.

     

    Ticks are going to be horrible next year.

     

    Definitely liking the furnace not running much yet.

     

    It was always my understanding that tick populations were more closely linked to acorn mast and rodent populations than to winter conditions. Of course, though, they are more active when it's not bitter cold, and more people tend to be outside when the weather isn't brutal, so it seems like there are more ticks.

    • Like 1
  4. So what is the best course of action for my hunting clothes?? Should I just let them hang in the garage? Or put them in a plastic bag ??

    I'm done hunting, and there must be a few ticks still crawling on my clothes.

     

    I once did an experiment with a deer tick I found crawling up my knee after hunting. I put it in a very tiny airtight glass tube, a medical grade one, to see how long it would live without water, a meal, or even fresh air. It lasted three months, and would 'follow' the warmth of my finger through the glass. Now, this is hardly a scientific analysis on the longevity of ticks, but it seems they can live a long time without water/feeding. If you can get your clothes into something that is truly airtight and you don't plan on using them until next fall, that might be okay. I've always been told that running clothes through a drier set on high heat was the best way to kill them if they are already on your clothes (or if you suspect some might be). Just make sure there are no scented drier sheets or anything in there, as I suspect you don't want your hunting clothes smelling pretty.

  5. How cold was the meat when you discovered the problem? Any chance you tested some with a thermometer (I know not everyone has a meat thermometer)? You might be okay. Don't put yourself/family at harm, but fresh, carefully handled meat like your venison can be safe if it is not warm for too long, especially if your butcher was a clean production.

  6. In all likelihood, if I'd found them, I would have handed the antlers over to the guy who claimed he shot the deer, provided I believed he was telling the truth, it means more to him than it would to me. But I would have probably taken his money. :D  Just curious, is there some sort of cash value associated with a set of antlers like this?

     

    Sorry as this is a bit off topic, but this is a bit of a grey area in NY, especially concerning detached antlers or deadheads.

    http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/legal_protection_pdf/11_01.pdf

     

     

    It is unlawful to sell deer or bear flesh. Other than flesh, the parts from legally taken and reported deer and bear may be sold only if tagged prior to sale. Tag shall be provided by the hunter or the buyer and include the hunter's license number, date of birth, signature, printed name and the town and county location of kill.

    http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html

     

    It also warrants mentioning that state laws vary. In some states it is quite illegal to sell antlers, even found sheds. Pennsylvania is one of those states. Harvested or found antlers originating from PA may not be sold in any way. I think Maryland is the same but I haven't looked the laws up in a while.

  7. Had to quit for today due to family obligations. Hunted most of the season with 1-3 other family members. I got about 40 hours in, my dad a bit less, with zero chances for a safe shot (on either bucks or does) between all of us. Not sure what we did wrong but I know the deer numbers are still there based on the sign. All my trailcam photos were at night for the last two weeks. Sad to miss out on the venison but thankful for the opportunity to hunt and spend time with family. Someday I'll invest in a smokepole so I can hunt the late season too. Good luck and safe wishes to those that hunt the late season! I will probably go chase some squirrels.

    • Like 1
  8. They are studying deer movements down in PA. This is very interesting, make sure to look through the archives as well. http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/projects/deer/news

     

     

    Before you leave thinking a square mile for a buck (except in the rut) is a good rule of thumb, let me warn you!  The deer we are studying all live in large tracts of contiguous forest and they are quite different from other parts of the state.

    http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/projects/deer/news/2014/one-square-mile
    http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/projects/deer/news/2014/those-cunning-bucks

     

    There are many variables that change what a buck's (or any deer's) home range is, and I think as hunters we will all find that each property has unique variables.
     

     

    • Like 1
  9. Heck, I couldn't hunt deer until I was 16 and didn't shoot one until I was 21. We thought it was normal, not "ridiculous". Oops, I'm showing my age.

     

     

    True. I couldn't hunt big game in NY legally until I was 16 either. They have dropped it in the past. They may, again.

  10. Very quiet today. It was super crispy frosty this morning and didn't catch anything moving except a few squirrels. Did some very slow still hunting around the thick stuff after the frost melted. Expected to see something or at least get busted all afternoon but didn't see/hear anything. They are partying in my yard right now that it's dark, I just watched a few bed down in the grass near the driveway.

  11. Tough weekend, no deer seen except for at home, in the yard, after dark.... I had to quit a bit early today for family obligations. There is a ton of deer sign on one of the properties I hunt, but we don't have the "right time, right place" part down yet it seems. I hunt with either 2 or 3 other people and we have doe tags (it's a miracle for 9X) but none of us have had a safe/ethical shot yet. Still, I love being out in the woods and I am teaching my younger brother how to hunt for the first time so that's exciting. I'd love for him to get a shot at a deer.
    Had a red squirrel come up and almost sit in my brother's lap yesterday, it wanted the apple core from the apple he had as a snack. It sure was entertaining.

    • Like 1
  12. welcome.  like your avatar . I assume you hunt thunder chickens ? Been deer hunting this year ?

     

    I am fond of them but haven't had any success in a long time!

     

    Deer hunting: Yes. I love venison, and the meat in the freezer is important to my family so admittedly I deer hunt more than other game. I enjoy small game though too.

     

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