Steve D

Thanks Al

Hi everyone I haven’t been getting on here much over the past year. Been checking in from time to time but not posting. As most of you know from previous posts I have been a avid hunter my entire life. I especially love to bow hunt and enjoyed gun hunting, trapping, predator hunting, cross country skiing, camping, reloading, and just about anything else related to the outdoors. That all changed on January 24th 2022 when we lost everything we owned in a house fire. In addition to losing all of our possessions and memories I lost every piece of hunting equipment, clothing, and anything hunting and fishing related I had acquired over 25 years. 2022 was the first year in my life I never hunted or even bought a license. I am not even sure hunting again will ever be in my future. It has been a long hard struggle and it isn’t getting easier as time goes on. We are just getting to the point we can think about rebuilding but if we started tomorrow it would probably be the end of the year before completion. The forum has sure changed over the past year for the better I think. Sorry to see some leave but others I won’t miss at all. Everyone has their reason(s) for leaving but don’t quite understand how another hunting community originating in New Jersey can maintain an emphasis on hunting in NY. Hopefully the members from here will keep it on course. I for one plan on staying here even though it has been suggested this site will go away in the upcoming months. This has always been my go-to site and will remain so to the end. I won’t be joining the other site regardless of what happens here. I hope to contribute and post on occasion but the majority of mine time will be spent trying to rebuild the life that we once had. Cherish all your times in the woods regardless if they are good or bad. It can be all gone in a second.

Rare white deer spotted in West Seneca (wkbw.com)

100% correct. Only 44% of the 13.1 million registered voters even voted. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

"Those we love don't go away" "They walk beside us everyday" "Unseen, Unheard, but always near" "Still Loved, Still Missed, and very dear"

Easiest way to get it completed...McKean County: Firearm/Gun Information for Each Pennsylvania County (pafoa.org) Non-Resident Carry Permits in Pennsylvania (pafoa.org) Pistol Permit Information (mckeancountypa.org) McKean County Sheriff's Office Online License to Carry Gun Permit Director (permitium.com) McKean County Sheriff's Office Online License to Carry Gun Permit Director (permitium.com)

Unit 8R has a good method for sure. Like fasteddie mentioned if you go the heat tape method lay it flat along the line. Secure it to the pipe with electrical tape, and possibly some pipe insulation Everbilt 3/4 in. x 6 ft. Foam Semi-Slit Polyethylene Pipe Insulation-ORP07812 - The Home Depot A little to short heat tape is ok but to long is not good. Keep it plugged in on cold nights/days especially if it is windy. Having it on a switched outlet would save plugging it in each time and lengthen the life of the heat tape.

Pretty good batter for all fish:

Got about 1.8 miles on the x-country skis today. Don't down hill.

Follow-up from yesterday. Skied it today and my field looks like a war zone compared to the cornfield stubble field which is hardly touched. There are actually a couple of paths they have made while walking through the corn stubble to get to the ex-soybean field. Almost looks like every deer within 5 miles is showing up here. Fist pic is my field for reference:

We have a few that have dropped. I have also seen a couple of 1/2 racks but I have also seen four different bucks this week still carrying both sides. Saw a good size four point tonight just before dark.

Not saying it will be the case in Albany but some family members attended the one in Hamburg last week and they said the prices were WAY out of sight. In some cases, double what they could be ordered online for. I think they said they paid $175 for a thousand rifle primers. There wasn't any buys but they had stuff for sale if one wanted to pay the price.

I am no plot guy, farmer, or even a gardener. All I know is the guy that works my field planted soybeans this year for the first time. They are not an annual but have kept the deer here. Deer have been in them all summer. Once they were picked they kept coming back for the residue. One night last week I counted 32 deer out there at once and there are least at least 8 or 10 out there every night. Looking at the tracks there looks like there has been at least a million deer out there since the snow fall this past weekend. The field behind mine was corn and all that is remaining is the stubble. They usually hit that pretty good also. Twice this week I have also watched 9 long beards digging to get down the remains. I hope to strap on the cross-country skis tomorrow to investigate but based on what I have seen this year; soybeans seem to be the draw.

Two hunters in Cortland County face several charges for illegally taking a deer while driving around in a taxi. Two Cortlandville hunters charged for using a taxi to pick up shot deer | WSYR (localsyr.com)

Meanwhile: Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Honduras next week to attend the inauguration of President-elect Xiomara Castro. Harris Will Travel to Honduras for President's Inauguration | Political News | US News