left field

I'm surprised you could pick them out, as that camo is so good. Just after that, I was answering an email and I looked up to see the body of a deer exactly where I thought they would be. Head was behind a tree but clearly it could see me. I moved slowly as I mounted the gun waiting for it to come out (hoping for antlers), but didn't notice the two does behind. All three does bolted. Another day.

Set up 40 yards from that scrape. Waiting.

Need advice. Walking my property I came across someone's tracks. I followed them to see where he was coming from and ended up in a seldom walked corner of my place where I saw a large scrape through the snow and a close-by rub. Very fresh as there's nothing on this dirt. How do I hunt it? I can get in here before sunrise and ground sit wherever is advantageous for the wind. Morning? Day? Late afternoon? Any advantage to putting out a little doe scent?

I'm going to Sinatra* the hell out of this weekend. *The Impossible Dream.

My current gin. (Not for sale.)

Years ago I took an intact puppy to a vet who asked if I was going to neuter him. I asked why would I do that and she replied, "well, he'll never get testicular cancer." To which I asked if we should pull all his teeth as well to stave off tooth decay. I'm in a slightly different situation but I appreciate the OP's position. I have yet to kill a deer and really thought that this was the year as I am at my cabin and have been out a dozen times over bow and rifle, but either it's no deer or the wrong deer (tag wise). There are four does that hang out at my backyard. In fact, today they were bedded down 30' from my back door. ML season comes in a few days and I can legally take one of those deer, but I won't. At least not from my back porch. It just doesn't seem to be what I signed up for. Now I appreciate that there's a small distinction between the same deer in my backyard versus 300' into my woods, but it nevertheless seems to be a distinction I could probably live with. I'm also pretty old and with that comes a real sense and understanding of mortality, both mine and others.

I was going to say the same. And "hold my beer."

Good to hear.

And yet, these questions come up every year. There's even disagreement among experienced hunters.

I seem to remember they always had a guy in canoe using a paddle to fight off a grizzly.

Will check it out. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at Wind River. Movie not series and Wyoming, but very tense FWS cop mystery. Very tense.

How about everyone on this forum write the DEC (while they're looking for input) to request they "clarify the damn regs and put them in clear understandable language." If they can make sense of the NYC street parking signs, they can do it with deer tags.

I poured over F&S and Outdoor Life as a kid, dreaming of the wilderness, then life took me elsewhere. Now, decades later, I can finally realize my outdoor life so it was a thrill to be able to work on this very important issue.

Hope springs eternal. If only it was jackalope season.

I'll see what I can do.

All through the magazine. 125th Anniversary issue. We shot the section openers and I stepped in where needed. Like showing my mad skills with a ferro rod and finding a pine forest in the Catskills to replicate a western hunt. Most of the shots took place at my camp. Cool job and great people to work with.

Reached out to the friend and will let you know.

Chef, I just produced a shoot for Field & Stream and used a friend's GSPs. She knows a lot of people up here and I'll mention it to her. Can you DM me the details?

Ash?

There you go. Make your voices heard.

If it was anything like the Trout Management Plan, they had a long window for comment and suggestions and I'm sure all kinds of organizations got their opinion in. There's probably still have an opportunity to comment. We were delighted to see that they listened to the local anglers and orgs, and are ceasing all stocking on the Esopus and designating it a "Wild" river.

I usually only see another neighbour who hunts with any regularity but this nice weather has brought a ton of guys onto my road. A few of these are the “own five, hunt 500” types. They know to stay off my property but you can’t be too sure, so it’s orange at all times in gun/ml season at my place.

This is my world right now. I sat in my B stand for three hours this afternoon and nothing, though there are fresh trails and droppings everywhere. I walk back to my cabin, round the corner and there are three does 10 yards from my back deck. They glance at me and continue eating.

Sure, but I can show you rivers where if your fly is a 22 instead of a 24 you may has well stay home. Is camo overrated? Maybe. Not sure you can discount the placebo effect, though. If I feel it helps, do I get better at what I’m trying to accomplish? Maybe.