Jdubs

Hey Biz, you might know this: What would it cost to have a brown bear done by a taxidermist in AK then shipped back to NY?

Living in Saratoga County, I can vouch for access being a challenge. Land is being developed rapidly and taxes sure aren't getting cheaper. If I want to hunt good public land, that will take a lot of travel time and miles. Doable, but not ideal unless I want to purely hunt the giants. (spoiler alert: I don't) Look, there are a 1000 reasons why I never needed to start hunting in my 40's, but I did. The experience of being in the woods, the challenges to being successful and then ultimately sharing the harvest, that's why I do it. I'll bring my daughter out too once she's old enough. Does this make me the exception to the overall hunting pool? This isn't about measuring tines against some tv buck to prove if I'm worthy. To me, it's about doing it right, to honor the animal for its sacrifice. If I never harvested a real Booner, I could be perfectly happy hunting til my days are done.

The non-res all-in price door-to-door can easily push over $30k, especially if you have a successful hunt. I'd have to dig through last year's emails to find the cost breakdowns that were sent. Deer hunts and fishing were a fraction of the grizz prices. I'm not making any travel plans this year due to a family health issue, but 2019 for Alaskan deer and salmon is what I'm shooting for. Here's one of the guided hunts I looked at on Kodiak Island: $24k for 2 week brown bear hunt plus tags, airfare, taxidermy (if successful), etc., etc. http://www.huntalaska.com/hunt_prices.html

Alaska is #1 on my list for grizzly, blacktail deer and salmon fishing. Eat only what I/we harvest. My hangup has been trying to justify the $30k to $40k price tag of a guided grizzly hunt, assuming I'd even be fortunate enough to win a tag.

I agree a person needs to be competent with the tools, but you lost me on how that applied to the story? Kate was an accomplished hiker; however, she underestimated the risks of the severe weather that day. The woods played serious tricks with her SPOT device which delayed the rescuers by 14 hours or so due to multiple false signals.

The tragic story of hiker Kate Matrosova, who died attempting Mt. Washington in 2015, highlights some of the problems and limitations with technology in the wild. Suffice to say the terrain and even shadows can play tricks with the signal. Other factors like weather and temperature can affect your device(s) as well. Your best bet is to carry multiple systems, including a map & compass, for navigation in the big woods. Kate Mastrosova

No one likes a quitter!

The spices aren't for everyone. Kinda like redheaded women.

Decided to snap a quick pic before it disappeared. Venison chili and scoops.

Damn, those look tasty!

Spring must be on the way. I'm down to the last 12 pk of Winter Warmer.

Hiking in the High Peaks wilderness, I've used the Backcountry Navigator app with my Samsung phone. Unlike the iphones, I can switch on the airplane mode and still use the GPS. This was important because otherwise the phone would be constantly searching for a tower and draining the battery. A dedicated gps wouldn't have this issue. For my purposes (hiking and backpacking), a compass and map plus my cell has kept me from getting lost. Reviewing the area I'm targeting ahead of time and marking various waypoints and terrain features have proven to be best practices.

Belated Christmas gift to find another 8 bottles of CBS and 6 cases of the Goose Island Bourbon County. Into the cart some went. Ok, I'll admit it: I stood there for a few minutes trying to justify dropping $800 on beer.

Hell yeah!

How is it? Never had that before.

Now that you mention it, I should take a trip to the store and see what's left.

This year's batch. Case of 11 left that I'll let age.

Setting the mood. Goose Island Bourbon County.

That looks reeaalllyy good!

That lame excuse stinks to high heaven. Not buying it.

Costco sold a 3 pak with this, the BA 3P, a Ginnepin and a glass for $24. Steal of the century!

The bourbon and licorice flavors dance on your tongue like a mischevious stripper you think you're taking home.

Hand of God right there. WOW!

Sneak peak video at some of the new Ten Point xbows. All I can say is, Wow! Go check out the Crossbow Experts vids on youtube to see all the new models. The ATA show officially kicks off tomorrow. https://youtu.be/EtNN30fCQ7I

Why would they risk their career and ignore the NYSP (who they refer their gun questions to)? The nurse in Utah that was wrongly arrested for not allowing a LEO to draw blood on her patient settled her lawsuit for $500,000. If some dumb local decides to jam me up for carrying 10 rds in the mag, then I'll gladly cash the check that's sure to follow.