Elmo

Summers over and the hunting season has officially started. This means all my free time will be directed to hunting and hitting the gym. Here are the books I read this year and recommendations: The Prince - by Niccolo Machiavelli Machiavelli's signature book. A classic I felt I had to read. It was a torture to read. War Horse - by Michael Morpurgo Nice short book. I recommend. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - by Stieg Larsson It starts off slow but once it grips you, you can't stop reading. There's a reason his trilogy is a best seller. I recommend. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide - by Nicholas D. Kristof Let's just you it makes you glad you live in America. I recommend. The Book of Imaginary Beings - by Jorge Luis Borges Zzzz.... The Girl Who Played With Fire - by Stieg Larsson Book 2 which I think is better than book 1 because it was as slow of a start. I recommend. The Cartridge Comparison Guide - by Andrew Chamberlain This is just a helpful reference guide but their section on game animal ballistics was interesting. The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance - by Tovar Cerulli An interesting prespective during the 1st 1/3 of the book. Rest was him trying to get into hunting which for us hunters would be boring. I highly recommend borrowing from library, read the 1st few chapters, then putting the book down. Bow Hunting Forest & Deep Woods - Greg Miller I find that all "how too" hunting books are 85% the same. Deers general behavior and general hunting techniques are pretty much the same. The other 15% is catered to your specific environment and how that will change your tactics. Since NY is deep woods and not open plains, this one is most fitting. The Beginner's Guide To Hunting Deer For Food - by Jackson Landers I read this because every hunting book is about trying to get the biggest buck. I just want to hunt for food. How come there's very little info on how to attract does? Then I realize there is no real sure fire way to bring in does, that's why. This book is the kindergarten for hunters. Waste of for people who already know a bit about hunting. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - by Michael Pollan A real eye opener about our food industry and how it effects our health, environment, and morals. I recommend. American Vampire: Volume 3 - by Scott Snyder Graphic novel. A fun entertaining read but only if you're into this sort of stuff. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks Zzzz.... Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird - by Andrew D. Blechman Zzzz.... A Sand County Almanac - by Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold is considered the father of modern day conservation. This was his journal and it ended up being is his most reknown work. I recommend. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline Sort of like "The Matrix" with tons of 1980's pop culture. Even better if you grew up as a kid during the 80's. I recommend. Thirty-eight Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case - by A.M. Rosenthal True story about the girl who was raped and repeatedly stabbed over a period of 35 minutes and eventually died in the hospital in Queens, NY during the 1960's. 37 people either saw of heard the crime occur but no one called the cops or came down to help. The 38th person called the cops after it was over. (Recent investigations reveal that the actual number was around 11 to 12 witnesses....still mess up.) You'll get the gist of the story and details half way through the book. Rest if just repetitive. Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai - by Yamamoto Tsunetomo A crazy fanatic's idealistic "guide" on how a samurai should conduct themselves. A classic I felt I should read. It was tough to get through. Zzzz.... Breakfast at Tiffany's - by Truman Capote I read this because I want to read "In Cold Blood" and was surprised someone who can write a gruesome murder novel can write what I thought was a romantic comedy. (I never saw the movie) Turns out the book wasn't so much romantic comedy but more Shakespearean tragedy. But Capote's writing skills are in clear display and you see why he is considered a modern day classic. I recommend. The Stoning of Soraya M.: A True Story - by Sahebjam Freidoune True story about an Iranian woman who was stone to death because her husband wanted a new wife but didn't want to return her fathers money so he lied and said she committed adultry. I haven't finished this yet.

You mean there's a ton of them and you'll find them all over our agricultural crop fields? I know, that's just wrong but I had to go there.

You do need a permit for Sterling Forest. After you fill out the application, you get a two piece card. One piece you break off and carry with you. I keep that in my tag holder. The other piece you place on the windshield of you car when you park. Here is the actually application for a Sterling Forest hunting permit. http://nysparks.com/parks/attachments/SterlingForestHuntingApplication2011.pdf

The problem with a lot of these safes is that they report 8 guns but really that's 8 guns without glasses. With glasses, you're lucky if you can squeeze 4. I ended up building something myself out of an old draw and tapping a lock on it. I have security in the building so I'm only concerned about friends with children that come by and visit.

almost all places within an hour and a half of nyc looks like a war zone come opening day which is why I avoid opening day all together and go out the day after.

Happy birthday, Eddie!

Man, he makes it look much easier.

Converting more liberals with embers into huntings will make this state less liberal and just maybe we'll see less decisions against hunting being voted in.

I enjoy the challenge of the 22 over the shotgun. To be honest, I'm sort of squirrelled out for the moment. So much effort to clean them for so little meat. Granted, they sure are tasty. Best way to describe their meat is the dark meat of a turkey leg. I use my squirrel hunting as more of a scouting/hiking session. I got two out of frustration because so many eluded me in the beginning but after I got those two, I let two other get away that I had easy shots on. Part of me was lazy and didn't want to have to clean a 3rd or 4th. The two I bought home got a dry rub and went under the boiler then into the fridge. I'll munch on those tomorrow night. Come December and January, after a frustrating deer season, I might feel differently and hunt squirrels purposely again. Who knows but right now, I'm don't having an itching to go out specifically for squirrel. I'll go out to hike, scout, enjoy the outdoors and if I see a squirrel, maybe I'll take it, maybe I won't.

#2. Growalot: What they are saying is that areas such as Putnam county is shotgun only for big game due to proximity of houses. For small game and predator, you can use centerfire rifles but when deer season is in session, you may not use centerfire for anything. The reason they do this is because there are a lot of poachers were using centerfire rifles and when DEC bust them, they lie and say they were actually woodchuck hunting so DEC ban it altogether during deer season.

#1. Lildave: NYS does not consider airguns as a firearm. DEC does but only in regards towards hunting regulations. Not in regards toward felonies. If you commit a DEC crime (poaching for example) you're being trialled through DEC fines. If you shoot someone, DEC turns the case over to the state police because you have committed a state crime. In your case, DEC isn't concerned with the fact that you're a felon. The state police isn't concern with the fact hat you have a airgun. I'm basing this on my interpretation of the law. I advice going to a lawyer. Since a minor mistake here can mean years in the prison.

It never fails but every time I go hunting I always forget to bring my troubles with me. Odd.

In regards to not aging enough land, it's the "which came first, the chicken r the egg" dilemma. Less hunter equals less votes and less revenue and thus less funding to keep land. Less and equals less hunter. It's a vicious cycle.

Got 2 greys. Used the 22LR. Damn leaves are thick! Must have lost another half dozen to the leaves.

I'm not so sure about lowering the cost for licenses is going to be that big of a factor. In the initial startup cost (gear, weapon, and license) the license itself is the cheapest item. Besides, isn't the idea also to increase revenue for conservation? Becoming a hunting instructor is nice and dandy but getting people to the class room is the first step. We're actually fortunate because nothing has done more for the sport than the "Hunger Games" books/movie and Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma". People are interested in hunting now as a alternate, healthier, and more environmentally ethical food source but they need the push. Aside from initial startup cost, they also have a fear of guns and the woods. They simply need someone to take them there so they can see first hand that it isn't as scary as they think it is. I took a friend of mine hunting twice last year. He took the hunter's ed course last month and took the bow hunters course last weekend. Let's see how far he takes it but that's one potential hunter added to the ranks. I actively pushed him into it. He never came up to me and begged me to take him. No. It was I who actively bugged him into going with me. Like defrazzle said. If each one of us did this to someone, we would have doubled in number.

A deer. Climber still on my back, bow in hand, arrows in quiver. It was literally maybe 20-30 feet from me. We stared at each other for a few second like "this is awkward" before it decided to run jump into the thickets.

Once I drove almost an hour before I realized I forgot my hunting license/tags. So I turned back around and started rummaging through my place till I realized that I had left them in the side pocket of my gun case. In other words, I had it with me the whole time. Another time I forgot to bring ammo. This was during that squirrel hunt meetup with a couple of forum members. Lucky there was a Walmart nearby and I rushed over and bought a box of shells.

My older brother is divorced and works out of Atlanta a lot so often I become a defacto dad. I took the girls to Sherwood Island State Park in CT for a beach day on Saturday while I did some clam harvesting. Sunday was spend at the Bronx Zoo. Tomorrow, I on christianing the 2013 hunting season by going out hunting for the first time this season (squirrels).

Just watched "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga" which follows villagers in a remote town in Siberia (specifically one who is a trapper) over the course of a whole year. Interesting contrast once you remove all the perceived "drama". The Siberian counterparts accomplish so much more with so much less and his junk snow mobile that looks like it was built in the 70's didn't break down once the whole year.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens-man-busted-massive-arsenal-mountain-ammo-apartment-article-1.1149238 Guy only had 2 handguns. Rest were simply knives, paintball guns, and airguns. How's that a "massive arsenal"? Not sure if he has a pistol license but a home pistol license allows the possession of 2 handguns in your home. The airguns on the other are technically illegal. The 10K rounds of ammo is only a fire code violation. What really irks me is that he was labeled as a weird guy but they go on to mention that he has a NRA and "Proud To Have Served In The U.S. Armed Forces" sticker on his door as if that's the supporting evidence.

Bashakill, Mogaup, Pochuck are all near the NJ northern border. Sterling Forest also touches NJ border but you need to obtain a park pass before hunting there and no firearms are allowed prior to November 1st. Bashakill has no mountains. It's a swamp. Sterling is mountainous but there are some flat areas too. I have not been to the others.

When I first started, just to get ready for my 1st hunt ever I had already spent upwards of $1000 on licences, gun, gear, gas, and tolls. This is with the fact that I already have a lot of camping gear that I can take with me (flash light, first aid kit, compass, etc). Along with the use of a vehicle and not having to ask my parents for permission. There is no way a child with parents who are not into hunting would be able to do what I did.

That some pretty impressive stuff, RJW. You're pretty far north of the city aren't you?

http://themeateater.com/2012/take-a-kid-huntingor-better-yet-take-a-parent/ Interesting article and a real compelling argument. To sum it up, the effectiveness of youth hunts is that for kids with parents who don't hunt, their interest will eventually disappear because the parents won't consistently take them out into the field and kids with parents who are already passionate was going to introduce their kids to hunting with or without a youth hunt anyway. But if a newbie parents are hooked, then their kids will very likely get hooked as well so it's twice the impact.

I'm heading out either Sunday or Monday. Now a matter of deciding on a weapon of choice. 22LR, 17HMR, or #6 shot. Decisions, decisions, decisions.