RoadKill44

I haven't hunted in two years. Basically because the population has been down on my property. I've seen five and six bird groups during deer season so I figure I'd let them grow in numbers for a while. I did see a sizable flock this spring but I think I'll give them one more year. Still I might chalk up the box and see if we can't carry on some conversations, just for grins. If I do call one in I'll have my story and a bigger grin. Now I'm thinking - take a camera. Wish you all luck though. My first bird from May 2008

Some of the reverse draw crossbows out there put the bow weight back further. I was very interested but went with a standard limbs on the front model.

I'm not sure at this point. I have both bow and crossbow and I'm thinking I would favor the crossbow. I want to mention another option for you guys with bows only. Within this same full inclusion bill is the wording allowing bow hunters to add a draw lock device to a bow without a special disability permit. It would be beneficial or those hunting bow only areas as well as those with bad shoulders or those old enough fearing shoulder injury. Take your bow. Add the draw lock for $150. It's legally still a bow but essentially it's a vertical crossbow of sorts. I popped my shoulder two years ago and first went the draw lock route. I can tell you mine was tough to tune so the arrow wouldn't wig wag side to side in flight. After the conversion and tuning it was spot on. I actually cranked the limbs from 50Lbs up to 60 Lbs. To the point of the thread I think I'd take my bow once in a while.

I did a little research. There's a Mission crossbow with 400fps at 200Lb draw and a Branett Ghost crossbow with 400fps at 185Lb draw. Oh yes. another self injury safety issue with crossbows. Imagine yourself drawing that 200Lb draw with a hand cocking aid. The actual lift is only 100Lbs. with two hands. Got that picture. Now lift and straighten your back and, just as the string is one inches short of latching into the release, the cocking stirrup slips off the toe of your muddy slippery boot. Anyone need another picture?

I honestly don't know the answer to that. I do know there were a lot of crossbows boasting 380 fps but even those I wasn't paying attention to draw weight. There were probably a few under 200Lb. draw. I heard about a 400fps that just came out recently (last November). But again, not sure of the draw weight. I have a chronograph and know my Sryker gets 349 fps. I jokingly complained to the shop where I bought it because it's advertised as 350fps. It's only a 125lb.draw and with the cocking aid I'm only lifting 60 pounds with two hands. That was a consideration at age 69 when I bought it. My reason for going crossbow was the result of a shoulder pop pulling back on a 50 lb. draw bow. I now have a draw lock essentially turning my bow into a vertical crossbow. That feature also allows me to crank the limbs up to 60Lb. draw. I haven't put it on the chronograph but I know it was 217fps at 50 Lbs.

It all about initial arrow velocity regardless of what weapon is generating the power. For those looking to buy a crossbow or bow, you should pay more attention to release velocity than draw weight. Typically crossbows are higher draw weight which increases speed but shorter stroke length which reduces speed. The result with most designs, however, usually makes the crossbow a little faster a bow. Be aware that's not true in comparisons. Typical bows speeds range from 200 to 300 feet per second. Where a typical crossbow is from 250 to 400 feet per second. Again that's not saying there aren't some faster or slower. Current setbacks are 150ft (50 yds) for bow and 250ft (~84Yds) for crossbow. The new bill proposes both bow and crossbow at 150ft (50yds) setback. The more critical safety difference between bow and crossbow is in handling a cocked crossbow. One needs to be aware that a cocked crossbow is like an armed rat trap and it's one mean rat trap. The archers hands, not holding the string in tension, are free to wander into triangular string path. While shooting, a raised thumb on the hand holding the fore stock can be clipped off short. Other than that I think a crossbow is as safe as a standard bow.

Donna loves the dogs but she can do cats as well. ATBuckhunter asked about deer in their habitat. She responded with "Willing to try". All Donna needs is a good high def. photo to work from. If for some reason she is unable to work with the sent photo, we can work together to figure something out.

That's right. I need an atlatl. The DEC will surely open an Atlatl season in late September. They have to define the regs in such a way to include simple spear for those that regard using the launching stick too modern. LOL

Same thing here. I've hunted since 1960 and there been ups and downs. Back then it was one buck tag and four on a party permit (a one doe to four hunters tag). You felt good if you filled your tag and half the guys went empty handed. There were plenty of low harvest seasons but from 1995 through 2000 (don't recall exact years) we'd have our buck and single doe tags filled. Nowadays there's a buck tag for gun, Bow/Mz for archery, a Bow/Mz for muzzle loaders, two regular DMP (doe) tags and this last year I had two extra DMP's for WMU 8H. Seven tags in all. Today hunters are getting two or three deer a year. There may be a few who never filled a single tag this year but still, I feel it's better than it used to be.

I posted an idea in another thread that really applies to the conversation here. I wish the DEC would have a 10 day January season to target overpopulated suburban areas. It would be an All Archery (for suburban backyards) and Doe only (for overpopulation control) season. It would likely provide colder weather (to bring the deer out in daylight hours) and have probable snow (making tracking and recovery easier). It would be there for those hunters that didn't fill out all their tags during the Oct through Dec seasons. It would provide local communities an option other than bait and shoot or the other costly population control options. It would target the real overpopulation problem where it exists. If the deer count is reduced there, the DEC numbers may better reflect what every hunter is seeing in the woodland parts of the state. It would reduce the red tape required and I think it would be a win win situation for both hunter and suburban landowner.

I have compound, crossbow and rifle as weapons of choice. No long bow or recurve and no muzzleloader. Though I prefer using crossbow over compound, I could also live with a progressive weapon season structure. Two weeks of traditional then add in compounds for the second two weeks, followed by all out archery (including crossbow) until the guns come out. I was happy with the last 14 days with crossbow. Yes, I wished for full inclusion and an earlier start. For two years I was like a kid wishing Xmas came earlier. But to be fare, that type of progressive weapon season would make sense. I also wish they would have a 10 day January season. It would be an All Archery and Doe only season for overpopulated suburban areas. It would likely provide colder weather to bring the deer out in daylight hours and have probable snow for tracking and recovery.

I'm all for more deer to hunt, don't get me wrong. But, there's another side of the coin. It didn't pertain to me but I heard a fellow hunter say he asked for permission to hunt deer on the property and the framer replied, Shoot all the damn deer you want but don't shoot the coyotes. Why Not!? The coyotes don't eat my peas. So does the DEC have to cater to the coyote hunters or deer hunting farmers?

Donna said she's willing to try, if you have a good photo. She would like the challenge.

My wife (donna) enjoys drawing dogs using charcoal/pastels. Using .JPG files originals as the model, she draws portraits onto 9 X 12 art paper. Being impressed with her work, as a husband should be, I told her about the guys here with hunting dogs and asked, “How much do you want per drawing?” So if anyone is interested it’s $50 including tax, mailing and handling. Anyone interested can contact me through profile messaging for more information. I'll send you my email address through private messages. Comments to this thread are also welcome.

Said earlier. Another foot or so higher and he would have been. Dad always had our dogs fixed.

Everyone is interested in their piece of the choice of weapon pie. Other contentions revolve around Buck or doe choices. Just for conversation purposes, here are two related charts for the 2014 deer report. We're all still waiting on the 2015 report.

Sorry for the losses. Sympathy goes out to you, Janice and family

Just wondering. In that the proposed new regs. indicate crossbow will require bowhunting privilege tags. That also means those who used crossbow under muzzleloader privilege only, will now have to take an bowhunter education course to get the bowhunter privilege. Are there any of you, who purchased and used crossbow without a bowhunter privilege, that may find themselves in that predicament? PS: I send messages to both my state senator and assemblyman.

Nice pup in the photo but the tag caught my eye. If you hunt him, some folks rivet the tags to a leather or solid type collar. I prefer no dangling tags that could catch on a fence and hang them up and not be able to return when called. Just a thought not everyone does it. never mind. I was looking a Paula's beagle

I'm not extremely knowledgeable when it come to tree identifcation. I do know the white oak, red oak and chestnut oak leaf shapes. To help I've taken spray paint and marked green "O"s at eyelevel on the oaks while they are leafed out. When I come back and the leaves are down and the woods looks completely different, I can still find the spots where deer will be looking for acorns. I'm finding they prefer a cluster of shorter oaks over one big oak. I think they find comfort in the lower canopy.

One thing I found out is that springtime ticks are usually found in overwinter tall grasses and blown leaf rows on the ground. It's the same thermally insulated habitat used by mice through the winter. Not that they will definitely be there or can't be elsewhere. This just describes a prime springtime spot for the small tiny nymphs which are more likely carrying Lymes.

I would hope he gets a little time. If not, the best that can come of this is that the fear of time and the cost if getting out of it is enough that he doesn't repeat such acts. The other two should learn the lesson as well. Hopefully this story gets told to those in your family. You may think your kids wouldn't go to that extreme but the added knowledge of this story might be echoed in conversations with their peers.

Not that I know of. I've hunted 56 deer seasons and may have had you partner in a hunting outing or shot along side in a 3D shoot. Being new to this site none of the your names pop out as someone I know. I've been wondering.

At the risk of being pounced on by BP, I thought the meeting went well too. It was informative and I believe the DEC is doing their best to work toward solving issues. No, they don't have solid numbers there is no way to count every deer. I heard complaints about not an accurate population count but where IS the solution. I think they are doing their best with the funds and man power they have. There's just no way to solve everybody's problems. If there was any failure of the meeting it was the lack of participation. 45 to 50 is not a good turn out. I thank the QDMA and DEC for the opportunity to hear and be heard.