Rattler

Based on what?

Incredible? How about invasive? Way more respect? I have way more concern that we are not allowing the solutions to this invasion to be implemented.

Have you checked the NY regs on the coyote hunting season? Seems to me NY is not at all interested in reducing coyote numbers in this state.

"For more than 100 years, what amounts to an extermination campaign has been waged against rats across the United States. However, rats are more widespread now than ever, and have even expanded their range to include many cities. The best available science shows coexisting with vermin animals – rather than killing them – is the most effective management strategy, yet many states often do little to halt barbaric killing." Now, doesn't that one little change expose the stupidity of that quote?

The news media that reported on the demand to stop the hunt, stopped reporting on the event as soon as the FD cancelled the hunt and began a huge celebration among the anti community. The anti's forums and print media lauded their success without mentioning the hunt went on. I'll bet many of the 20,000 who signed that petition still don't know the hunt went on. But they are all fired up to attack their next victim with the energy of winners.

Here in Delaware County, many of us have been very active in this issue, writing letters to local papers, to the elected officials of Hancock NY, to the DEC, posting on internet forums, working with the FD and seeking support from as many businesses as possible. We also sought out an alternative sponsor for the hunt and got one quickly. Notice how the anti's didn't try to attack the hunt after it was no longer in the public domain. The hunt wasn't stopped, the money was earned, the prizes will be awarded, the FD donation will be made and nothing is different other than the FD was removed from it. To me that is a story of success. However, the media and the anti's are spinning it as a loss for hunting. Like I said in the prior post, the side that has the most support in this fight is going to win. Support the hunt.

Not sure what you're talking about here Belo. I didn't call you an anti and never intended to. Where are you getting that from the post I wrote?

As a member of a volunteer FD in Delaware County, I can attest to the fact, donations to volunteer FD's go way up when people have an incentive to donate. Most of the time, we are "out of site, out of mind".

I think the main issues with a coyote contest are only two things. On one side we have the contest and why it exists. As I stated prior, it's a management hunt that gets the yote population under control, to the benefit of other wildlife that fall prey to these predators. It generates income for good causes. It also provides income for the local economy, during the contest as well as the rest of the year. Hancock is a tiny, rural Catskill mountain town on the upper Delaware river, that depends very heavily on sportsman's hunting and fishing dollars. There are very few job opportunities in this area besides hospitality jobs and restaurant employment. If deer and turkey numbers decline, so does the number of sportsman and so does the revenue they brought to the town. In a small town, a big event has a big impact. Is it any wonder the locals would become so aggravated when the contest is being attacked by people who have no interest at all in the town, or it's economic survival? Hancock has about 1000 residents and the anti contest petition was signed by 20,000 people. What does that tell you? The Hancock folks don't normally do ugly things during this contest. They are doing them in a visceral way now, as a reaction to the contest attack, to show the anti's they have no right to be involved in the issue there. I wish they weren't doing these things, but I can understand why they do. BTW, the contest that is being held is donating all the proceeds to the FD too. On the other side, we have the anti's, who have a strong desire to involve themselves in a cause they are passionate about. They want to prevent animal cruelty, and attack anything they see that fits that description in their eyes. If you extrapolate into the future, you will come to understand this contest furor is just a tactic that works for them at this time. ALL animal "cruelty" is on their long term goal list. ALL hunting, ALL animal farming, ALL meat eating, ALL trapping, ALL of the fur and leather industry, ALL fishing, anything that infringes on any animal's right to live completely free and unmolested by human constraints. Look at how many other states and localities have been attacked by the same people for having bear, mountain lion or even dove and pigeon hunts. In NY they recently succeeded in passing a law to fine dog owners who don't bring the dog inside when it's cold. It's a very extreme agenda and they are very militant about it. They do not care about the cost to humans in this goal. Radicals have even gone so far as to endorse eliminating ALL human life to benefit the animals. It's a self loathing psychosis belonging to people who feel no usefulness to their existence, that want to attach themselves to something big, so they can look good to others they admire. They love animals and hate people! It's also interesting to note they do not spend their money on any type of habitat improvement or practical environmental goals that would benefit wildlife, choosing instead to pay for lawyers and lobbyists that work through the courts, to bludgeon their opponents. In the end, they desire the elimination of all animal "cruelty", while not realizing, or perhaps realizing, the simultaneous elimination of many animal's existence because of that agenda. Nobody will invest in raising livestock, protecting deer, bear, turkey, waterfowl, small game, trout or other game fish, if they cannot get a return on that investment. Of course they could demand we all pay higher taxes to cover the costs. Think they would? One side of this issue is willing to use a renewable wildlife resource for the benefit of the community, while the other side wants to eliminate use of a renewable wildlife resource in it's drive towards totalitarianism regarding animals. So, why defend the coyote hunt? The big picture is why. You see the two sides of the issue listed above. You can stand on the sidelines and watch the fight, accepting the outcome as fate. Or you can decide to support a side based on the total picture and where it is going to lead us in the future. IMHO, the side with the most support is going to come out on top in the end.

The Hancock contest was instituted when the local DEC office determined the local coyote population was far beyond the desired number and was causing depletion of deer and wild turkey populations in the area. It is a management hunt and the money paid by the participants supports the Hancock FD. Without such coyote management in the area, which was not popular during January or February prior to the contest, the coyote problem would still exist. That is why another group jumped in to sponsor the hunt immediately. The anti's have been allowed to portray it as some kind of blood thirsty event that hurts wildlife. That is far from fact and should not be tolerated.

If the public's perception of coyote hunting contests is negative, we hunters have allowed that to happen by not refuting the anti's propaganda campaign with factual information regarding why these contests were started in the first place. Backing down only enhances the public's perception there is something wrong with them, and hunter's who don't support them help to enhance the public's negative image. I'll bet a lot of these contest haters also condemn killing terrorists.

Are the bunny huggers running a campaign to stop the slaughter of rats in NYC these days? If not, they're being selective and obviously prejudice in the animals they support. Coyotes are more like rats than dogs as far as consequences go.

Conditions where they took off were fine. They flew into fog near the end. Other flights were also in the area. LAPD grounded their helo's but they are often "over cautious". The pilot can fly "visual flight reference" (VFR) when he can see. The pilot requested "special visual flight reference" (SVFR) flight, meaning ground radar would help guide him and warn him of other traffic nearby. He could've asked for "Instrument Flight Rating" (IFR) which would let him see in the fog with the instruments, but that required FAA approval, which takes time and might be denied. The last radio message sent to the pilot was that he was too low to follow on radar. The pilot replied he was climbing to 2500 ft. No further radio communication with the helo after that. Many pilots succumb to what's know as "get-it-there-itis". They want to accomplish the mission, and with a huge celebrity client on board, it may become even more desirable. A big risk was taken. Too big.

I don't have the details at my fingertips, but I believe the contest was still on, but it's was being handled by a different group. Hancock FD got pressure from the mayor to get out of it. The contest itself was still on though.

Let's respect the others. CBS Los Angeles, has confirmed the identities of all nine people aboard the helicopter. Besides Bryant and his daughter, they are: -John Altobelli, head baseball coach at Orange Coast College, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa -Christina Mauser, basketball coach at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach -Sarah Chester and daughter Payton Chester -Ara Zobayan, pilot

I've had to field dress a hundred deer in my life. I've come to know how to do it quickly and with as little blood on me as possible. I put the deer on it's back with it's head uphill on a slight incline. I wear gloves that are thin rubber with a gauntlet. I get a box that are made for doctors at a medical supply store. I think there are 25 individually wrapped sets in a box and they last a couple of years. I can really feel things with them. I always cut the sternum all the way, unless I'm mounting the head, then only half way. I find I can do it with my knife using both hands and cutting slightly off center. I can grab and cut the esophagus with little trouble. I don't get blood on my arms this way either. Being able to prop the chest open after gutting also helps to cool it faster. I always cut the pelvis using another knife that I can hammer through the bone with a rock I find nearby. This makes it easier to get things out and allows all of the guts to roll out the bottom of the deer after everything is cut from the back inside and pulled down with one hand holding the esophagus. Very little blood gets on me or the deer this way and I don't need to carry a lot of extra stuff. I then take my drag rope, which is attached to a strap that goes over both shoulders, allowing both hands to be free when dragging, and use it to hang the deer in a tree, propping the chest open with a stout stick for better cooling. This allows all the blood to drain out of the cavity. Now I rest for a while drinking coffee and smoking my pipe. When I'm ready, I drag the deer out. It works for me.

Not being a sports fanatic, the name Kobe brings up recollections of a married father of a 3 month old that was charged with rape. But "green privilege" allowed him to avoid life in prison and only cost him a bundle of cash to settle with the victim and lost endorsements. Seems like the sports world will forgive anything for the almighty dollar. People tend to see what they wish to see in a person, often giving "idols", albeit false ones, a pass. Adultery and rape on the resume. Class act? Any life lost is a terrible thing, and all who died deserve our sympathy, but I won't eulogize in denial. May God have mercy on his soul.

That won't work too well. Crows have really good eyes and won't decoy to odd decoys. You can get a half dozen crow decoys pretty cheap on Amazon. Putting some in the trees near you works well too. They also come in well when you use an owl decoy. They hate owls and will dive bomb them when they see one. Calling them is the hard part. It takes some education to learn to call them. Get a CD of crow calls and learn some calls. That will pay off. The most important thing to do is learn what spots they are using each day. Scouting pays off. BTW, they learn real quick. I used to hunt them with an owl decoy and a few crow decoys in my back yard. Word got out among the birds and now they avoid my yard like the plague. LOL!

Both PA and NY aggressively attacked the hog populations. It's easier to eliminate them when there's only a few thousand around. They are confined to a small area and can be patterned. Once their numbers get out of hand, there's no hope of getting them under control. Both states still have aggressive hog control plans in place to keep them from getting out of control. That's a good thing, since they are invasive and very destructive to the land and all of it's other species.

No, Sum Yung Guy. LOL!

Oh they're there all right. https://lancasteronline.com/outdoors/feral-pigs-are-going-hog-wild-in-pennsylvania/article_264e85b7-fa40-57f8-a5fd-b0ed960c333a.html Only a few thousand there now in small areas of the state, but PA doesn't consider them a game animal so they can be hunted 365 days a year right now. Breeding populations of hogs were found in Bedford, Bradford, Butler, Cambria and Tioga counties - in areas near pig-hunting operations. An estimated 1,000 wild pigs are living in the woods of Cambria-Bedford counties and more than 200 have been shot there by hunters this winter, Glass reports.Apr 10, 2007 New York populations of feral swine have most likely emerged from escaped and abandoned Eurasian boars kept in captivity and at hunting preserves. ... Known breeding populations of feral swine in NY (2011) include northwest Cortland, southwest Onondaga, and southern Tioga counties.

Stop by the farm homes that look to have likely grouse habitat. Talk up the farmer and if he says you can hunt, ask what parts of his land holds grouse. He will know. Be sure to get info on the property boundaries and then give him the bottle of VO in thanks. This time of year the farmers are more friendly and willing to allow bird hunters access to their land. By showing them you appreciate their permission to hunt with the gift, they will welcome you back anytime you want to hunt. Go straight on Hwy 33 and on the left about 1/2 mile, the big dairy farm with the milking barn on the land, just down from the old church on the hill and at the next right turn on Hwy 33 (Braehead Rd), belonged to a man named Ken Awl years ago. He may not be with us anymore, but his family might still own it. They always allowed us to hunt and they always looked forward to that bottle every year too. The trailer across from the milking barn belonged to my friend and we used to stay in it when hunting. It has a new owner now. If the Awl's still own the farm, tell them you were referred by the guys who used to hunt out of that trailer. The trailer owner's name was Kalman Lavort. That may earn you some trust. The back woods of that farm always had lots of grouse.

Unfortunately, people who vote for Democrats are in denial. They've convinced themselves it's all a "right wing conspiracy".

Google earth can give you some likely spots to check out, but only hunting those spots will give you the facts. Try different places as often as you can. Exploring new coverts is part of what grouse hunting is all about. Most serious grouse hunters guard their best coverts with a vengeance. If anyone ever shows you one of their prized coverts, be forever grateful. I'll give you a tip on an area I used to hunt often and find plenty of birds. There is an area known as "Doonan's Corner" in the Bloomville town lands. Lots of open farmland with woods edges and pine groves there. Farmers are also pretty agreeable towards bird hunters. A bottle of VO will often gain their respect too. It's not far from Oneonta. Take 23 East to Davenport Center, turn south (right) on Hwy 10 to East Meredith. Take Rte 12 (left) to intersection of Hwy 33. Start at the intersection of County Hwy 33 and County Rte 12. That's Doonan"s Corner. You can also look into hunting along North Road which is the left turn at the intersection of 12 and 33. Good Luck.

This time of year, Grouse are where the food is. If you know what they're eating, you will find them. The best days now are when the sun is shining and there is no wind. When the temps rise above freezing, the grouse become more active. The depth of the snow here in Delaware County currently isn't a factor. Look for them to be on the ground under pine trees with low branches that offer them cover, warmth and less snow on the ground. Hunting alone for them is tough, as they are going to flush out the other side of the pine tree when you approach, not offering you a shot. The grouse numbers seem to be down this year too. I'm seeing far less than I was seeing the last couple of years. BTW, I had a Vizsla years ago and also hunted pheasant over my friend's Vizsla many times. They are great bird dogs and will find grouse for you if they are there.