Steuben Jerry

Using one makes you anti-conservationist? Or breaking a law makes you anti-conservationist?

That speech yesterday gave me the same feeling as fingernails on a chalkboard. She needs to fade away, not stage a comeback.

Well, I like electronics and love hunting. I consider changing my trailcam SD cards like a trapper running his trapline, and always get excited to get those cards loaded on my PC to see what I've got. So I can understand drones and my hunting to get mixed together someday (if legal). I can see myself sitting in a stand wondering what's happening on other parts of the property (like I always do) and taking a flight over to the north side just to see what I see. But drones have to come down in price a bit more before it hits my disposable income threshold. Still close to a grand (or more) for a decent rig with decent flight time and distance. From an ethics standpoint, it's not that different from a cellular trailcam to me.

I'll never know how much fun it may be. Right or wrong - I hate snakes!

I don't know how much fun this would be, but at least it's warm there. I'm thinking nothing less than a 20 ga shotgun would be my preference, but they do prefer you catch them barehanded.. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/01/18/florida-declares-open-season-on-pythons-in-annual-challenge.html?intcmp=hplnws

Wicked Lights - nice and bright, great battery life, and not heavy or bulky. http://www.wickedhuntinglights.com/

Just a casual observer, but are you two sure you're reading 22Plinker correctly? I read his post as saying he wanted to "outhunt" it, as in compete with it.

3 inches in central Steuben County.

Happy Birthday!!

Id rather give my business to the local guys and do so whenever I can. But it is nice to find just what you want online vs scouring every local shop for a lousy couple of boxes a certain type of ammo.

Good info Culver! None of that is required without the database in place, but the misinformation from NYS scares everyone away. There still are out of state sellers that will ship to your door. The pricing isn't the greatest, but if they have what your looking for, you can still get it.

I'm just catching up to this thread so pardon me if someone else covered this. It is NOT illegal to have ammo shipped directly to your door. The unsafe act doesn't prohibit it, and there are still dealers that will ship it to you directly.

Just wanted to wish all of you an enjoyable and safe holiday. Hopefully the DEC will bring us wise management choices in the coming year, and also hoping that the camo-wearing Santa Claus gets us all what we want for our future outdoor pursuits. Merry Christmas to a wonderful group on HNY.com!

Merry Christmas Skillet!

Or just shoot them off the birdfeeders..

Yes, went with the 7mm-08. I've got a feeling that come next deer season, my wife will be taking that out of my hands for her use though. I'm glad I have that "problem"! We've been hunting together for quite some time. She usually uses a .243.

Two deer are plenty for my wife and I and I was fortunate enough to drop a buck and a doe during rifle. Although I'm back in the game with both bow/muzzleloader tags after Sunday, I won't take another unless it's a wall hanger. Low chance of that on my place. The deer were way down this year.

Thanks Pygmy, Reloading is something I've been thinking about getting into for a while now. I just may take you up on the offer.

Thanks everyone, great advice and info! I went with the Ruger. Very lightweight. $329 on sale at Field and Stream.

I'm going to depart from the popular opinion, but I have to admit I kind of like the warmth. No good for tracking, but very good for long comfortable sits. There, I said it!

So I've been wanting to pick up a bolt rifle in 7mm-08. The gun shops around me have current stock of a Savage model 11 (combo w/scope) for $400, a Ruger American for $320 and a Remington SPS for $650. I've got a few Savages and they are tack drivers. My go to deer rifle is a Remmy 700 purchased about 10 years ago, and my only Ruger is a 10/22. I've heard that Remington's quality has slipped in the past few years, and I've read fairly good reviews about the Ruger Americans. But I've personally had excellent luck with Savage (except for my 17 WSM, but that's a project that will get better). My Remmy 700 is sub MOA and was that way out of the box. I was thinking about picking one up on the way home from work tonight so I'm looking for quick input from the experts here. While I consider myself relatively knowledgeable, there's a number of you that have way more experience and insight than I do. The Remington and Ruger don't have scopes, and I don't think I necessarily care about the scope that would come with the Savage combo as I'd put some decent glass on any one of them. Thoughts?

I couldn't update from the stand yesterday because the cell service is hit or miss from that location. But I got my projects completed early enough to go for an afternoon sit, and got in to the stand at about 2:45. About 3:45, this guy shows up. I already filled my buck tag, so the only thing I was shooting him with was a video camera. He was following a doe, and after watching him for a few minutes, he slipped off through the woods with his girlfriend. I don't know if I would have taken him if I still had a tag, but after looking at the video, I may be tempted during the late season when I'm back in the game with a buck tag. I had a few more does filter in and punched the lone doe tag I had with a 10 yd neck shot about 30 minutes after the buck left. The freezer thanked me!

Great deer, nysredneck! That's a 10 in my book too. Getting a shoulder mount done? It's your first 10, so you owe it to yourself, right? How long did it take for the adrenaline rush to wear off? Congrats!

Hey Pygmy, how have you done so far in your part of 8T? It's been a very down year for us and the surrounding properties. I was fortunate to get a 10 point before 8:00 am on the rifle opener. Not a huge deer, but my first 10 pointer. Just shy of 150 lbs dressed. Including us and the surrounding properties (about 900 acres) that was the only one. Only 2 does taken during archery. We've passed on a couple young bucks and saw 7 does for the entire first week of rifle with 3 hunters. No shots nearby. I have one doe tag, and am hesitant to fill it. That's potentially 3 less deer walking around next year. I went the entire archery season seeing only a couple different does. I'm betting there won't be any doe tags available at all next year in 8T. As you surely know, they were only giving them out with preference points this year. I'm praying for a mild winter! So far, so good!

Our part of 8T was the quietest I remember. I think the last two winters did more damage than I thought.