Rebel Darling

I checked my trail cameras this past weekend, and saw exactly what I expected to see: does, fawns, and spike and fork bucks. Nothing worth depleting Internet data to post. After two and a half years here on the property, I’m almost certain that the property, and those that adjoin and sit near it hold no mature bucks until the rut approaches. Adding to this year’s challenge, is my neighbor’s untamable imagination brought to life. This year’s project, which, true to form, is immense in scale, is clear-cutting and clean filling a few acres for a grass lawn, and a driveway that prevents a view of his footprint (which is also immense in scale) from the road. On this side of the stone wall, it’s been less than a peaceful summer. Aside from all the machine activity, which includes a regular thud-thud-thud from the excavator’s hydraulic hammer and the crash from the front-end loader pushing over trees, the clearing interrupted a major deer trail that brought the does onto my property. While I’m still getting deer on camera, their travel is irregular in both direction and time. This season is going to be fun on the property. I mean that. I'm looking forward to the challenge. In the long run, though, the deer are going to love visiting that lawn in the evenings, and there are established rutting buck beds along a creek on backside of his property, which I have permission to hunt. That property is going to be pretty sweet in a few years. With Jackson around, time is both short and vanishing. I missed planting Whitetail Institute’s Bowstand seed by two weeks, and the shelf at Agway was empty when I drove there last weekend. Exhausted and preoccupied, I simply spaced on planting. I picked up and threw down some Throw and Grow instead, but am still a week late for the ideal planting time frame. Two weeks behind, if you factor in the lack of rain this week. Fortunately, the clover came back up this spring, and is still around, but the deer have already chewed their way through a good deal of it. I should plant more of that next spring and summer. Now that I’m on the topic of my little, 1/8 acre food plot, I want to write out a lesson learned last season. I hunted the food plot stand only a few times last year, and each time I saw deer, they wouldn’t walk into the opening. I consistently had the wind in my favor, but they trotted the edges and never set foot onto the clover. This frustrated me throughout the season, but reflection over the past few months revealed the reason, and my error. The food plot trail camera placed does and fawns, and later bucks, in the plot around 4:30 am and then throughout the day. In dimwitted moves, I repeatedly decided to climb into the stand prior to daybreak, right at the time the deer were feeding. I now realize that I effectively ran off all the deer as I got into the stand. Looking back, it’s no wonder that each time I saw deer, they trotted the edges, just behind cover. Basically, I told them I was going to be there all morning, and they got the message. I’ll now use that stand exclusively for afternoon and evening sits. Maybe a mid-day sit during the rut. That is, if the Throw and Grow sprouts and there’s something for the deer to eat. With all the change and activity on my adjoining neighbor’s property, I might head over to the neighbor’s across the street to start off the season. They mentioned that does eat up their garden, and have repeatedly granted me permission to hunt their property. I helped them cut up some logs this summer, so I don’t feel as bad about taking them up on their offer. I also alerted them to a new ladder stand set up at the end of last season. There’s only two of us that have permission to hunt that property, and neither one of us set up that stand. At any rate, their back property line rises up to and runs a ways along a ridge, which will likely be a good spot to hunt late October and early November. Below that, they have a section that they logged a number of years ago, and the does like to feed there and walk through. I think the best bet is to set up along a trail leading out of that area prior to dawn and hope they choose that trail to head to bed when I sit. I’d like to “help them out” so to speak, with a doe harvest. In new hunt-able property, a buddy of mine bought 100 acres in the Little Hoosick River Valley. The entirety of the property is sloped up to a ridge, which is on his side of the line. The base of the property has tall grass, an old apple orchard and leased land for corn. Sounds pretty ideal, but I just got his okay to bow hunt early season there, and haven’t walked it. The deer must be there. I bet I bump into someone who's used to hunting that lot. I haven’t bought much in gear this year, and didn’t need to buy any arrows or broad heads, not yet anyway. I did purchase some mid-season ScentLok pants, and will pick up a jacket of the same model, Taktix, once I get a proper fit. The reason I bought the pants and will pick up that jacket is to get a set of Realtree camo, which blends well with the woods type hunting I do most often. My current gear is Mossy Oak, and that’s fine for down near the marsh, but the pattern stands out when I’m not in the dark, thick stuff. I guess the purchase is more for peace of mind than anything else, because if I’m set up well it shouldn’t matter too much. Hell, in the two seasons I’ve bow hunted, I’ve harvested four deer. The camo can’t be that bad… One issue I’ve had purchasing hunting clothing is that nothing off the rack ever fits me. It's a size offered issue. In most clothes, a medium fits me true. In hunting clothes, though, and it hasn’t mattered which brand, I can swim around in a medium. Pants fall down, sleeves bunch up and slack. It’s a poor situation for bow hunting from a stand. I’m a slender framed fella, and require a small in pants. No one seems to carry clothing in small, though. In fact, Neither Cabela’s nor Field and Stream sell it on their website, and least not the ScentLok. ScentLok’s company page, however, sells clothing in small, so I bought the pants direct from them. I hope they fit well, because I’m not going to want to pay the shipping to return them. Well, all this bow hunting writing has given me the itch. The wife took Jackson down to Grandma’s, so I’ll send a few arrows at the target, and then head to Field and Stream to fit up that jacket.

Did you request/sign up for one from DEC and not receive it? I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

The app, or website could interface directly with their database, which would cut down on human transfer error, and free up a lot of man hours from data entry... Hmm... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Mine arrived in the mail today. Getting close to that time and opening day feeling... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

I thought I'd re-post the photo from the "What Kind of Camo Is This?" thread...

I'm with y'all. Ethanol free in all my small engines. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

I have nothing of value to trade (4J), but I'd gladly accept unused 4H, 4K, and/or 4L (4L tags this year!). I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Getting an arrow tattoo on the inside of my left bicep in October. Still have to work out the artwork with my buddy, and Fletch's tattoo provides some fine ideas on direction. I'll post a pic when it's finished...

Roger that, Grow. Heading to Agway this morning. Needed some Whitetail Institute throw and grow anyway... Yep. Those leaves spotted and yellowed... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Still waiting on mine... might have to reach out and request one. I think if DEC went to an online entry form, it'd be easier to accommodate multiple hunt locations during the same day. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Spend a couple of hours hand-sawing down a few striped maple along the tree line: BEFORE: AFTER: Hoping those blue berry bushes benefit from the additional sun... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Yeah, I've been on the property for three summers now. The first year we were here, it was FULL of apples. Then the hard May frost killed every bud last year, and now this... I'm hoping to find someone to head over and show me how best to prune. While YouTube is great, the Internet here ain't. Ha... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Well, not that I can tell. In the spring, I placed a little bit of 10 10 10 fertilizer around the rain ring, on recommendation of the Agway fella, but that's all I'm certain of. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

I think it's still alive. I didn't scrape at any of the younger branches, but it's still holding fruit (the few it produced), and leaves, which are at the top. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Started losing leaves a little over a month ago. Still leaves at the top, and the fruit (albeit only two dozen or so) is still hanging. I'm thinking it's currently alive, but stressed as hell, or straight up dying... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Just snapped that photo right before I posted... I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

This has been my apple tree two years straight. No apples last year, and everyone up here suffered the same fate. This year, however, my tree produced only about two dozen apples, and all other nearby trees had bumper production. I'm worried it's dying. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Take 'er easy, and heal up, man. Thoughts, wishes, and vibes for ya.

The kind of camo that should be in a pile in the corner of a duck blind. That view is much better.

Reads like a solid adventure... Congrats on the success and the experience!

And now back to your regularly scheduled program: Wasn't pleased with the above. 30 yards, approx 15' elevation, aiming for the top circle on the front face. Took another round of three to get closer: Here's the view from the shooting position: I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Seriously. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk

Roger that... As far as DEC goes, I'm more interested in helping them out at a scientific level than saving the trees. There are large timber/foresting areas up the way a bit, and I bet they'd be interested in protecting their investments. The borers are already here, and there's not much I can do about that now. Maybe in 30 years we'll see some ash re-growth once the borers have nothing else to eat and die off, but for now it'll be firewood. Unless someone wants to fashion me a sweet telecaster... Also - I'll likely be picking up a 20" for my Stihl. I've been working with the 18", and I think I'll call a buddy for anything over the 20", for now... All things considered the MS 271 has been a BEAST!

Thanks for the input, all. There's another standing dead ash that I'll drop in the next couple days. It's about 50 yards from the one in the picture. These two are both on the front end of the property, and I have a good deal of healthy ash on the back side of the lot. I took note of some leaf die-back on a few ash near where I found the dead ones. I think it's reasonable to assume the borers are making progress across the property front to back. One ash is about 80' feet tall, and 25 yards from the house. I should probably fell that one in the next couple of years so I can control it. Big beautiful tree. It's a shame. Does anyone know if DEC wants to know about this? I'll search it in a bit, but I'm thinking you all might have some experience already. Thanks again.

This ash tree was standing dead. I felled it this afternoon, bucked and split it shortly after. The bark was peeling away at the upper reaches (above picture) and I saw some bore evidence in the same area. Anyone know if this is the mark of ash borers? I thought I'd see evidence throughout the tree, especially lower, down near the base. I'm all thumbs when using Tapatalk