WNYBuckHunter

Depending on where you are, its not really that big of a deal. Thats why I buy bows from local dealers, or brands where dealers are close by, so that the chances of getting them repaired quickly are better. Better yet, get a bow press and learn to swap strings yourself, its not rocket science.

-3 when I left for work this morning. I hate it when it gets this cold. Id really like to be out hunting yotes at night, but not in this.

My comment had nothing to do with what type of weapon was being used, it was the aiming at a deer sized target comment. Way too many people just aim at the deer, many times resulting in a non-lethal hit.

Ive used SSTs in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and my .50 cal Muzzleloader. Always the same results, small hole in, small hole out. I tried Remington Copper Solids, same thing. For shotgun sabots I had the best luck with the Remington Accutips. Just as accurate as the SSTs and they open up better in my experience. Still looking for a better option for my ML.

Aaaaand thats why so many deer are wounded.... You should be aiming for a dinner plate sized target, preferably quite a bit smaller than that.

Get used to it...

Coyotes

Happy Birthday John! Hope you have a great day!

Why would you think that? Just take it to a shop that services crossbows and have it replaced. Its not a big deal. Same as a compound bow.

Doesnt that retaining ring thread onto the grinder housing (if thats what youd call it)? Also, you are using the cutting blade and installing it with the flat side to the plate, correct?

I use the cutting blade with the largest hole plate. For regular venison burger, I only grind it once with the large hole plate. For sausage, using the large hole plate I grind the venison alone once, grind the pork alone once, then grind the venison and pork combined, then add spices and mix everything. For snack sticks, summer sausage, etc Ill use a smaller hole plate for the second grind before adding the spices.

If we have such a healthy robust herd, then why do we hear about winter mortality being as bad as it is when we have harsh winters? Part of the reason for them dying is because they get so run down during the rut and being pressured for as long as they are during gun season, which is over a month in length. You dont think it would be better for the deer to not be subject to pretty heavy pressure for that long? As far as it not being fair to some hunters, why wouldnt it be? Everyone is still on the same playing field. It would actually be better for the average hunter, you would end up with 2 (most likely) weekends of "opening day" instead of just one, where deer movement is pretty natural. If you think about it, the combination of more natural deer movement (due to lack of pressure) and more hunter participation is what makes opening day such a great day or weekend to hunt. The reasons behind certain areas having issues with higher than desired deer populations have little to do with season length, and more to do with lack of hunter access or lack of huntable ground.

Yeah Ive seen a few that arent as bright as my old Copper John DeadNutz II, which is half the reason I wont replace it.

Do you have the capability of holding a conversation without taking it in 50 different directions at the same time? WTH does CWD have to do with anything? No they dont disappear, they just move to areas that hunters cant get to. Its not just deer in my area, its anywhere. If you dont understand the concept of lessening the overall stress on a deer herd by shortening the amount of time they are under pressure, and less stress equaling healthier deer, then I dont know what to tell you. Ill remember this conversation the next time I see you bitching about a lack of deer sightings after the first week of gun season. Listen, you are misinformed, I suggest that you educate yourself on proper deer management techniques. Im not going to sit here and argue about it. You are grasping at straws.

I know this has been the subject of some debate each year, and I found clear cut info from the DEC posted on another site. This is straight from the regulations book, as the website isnt quite as clear. Its not much of an issue right now, as deer seasons are closed in most of the state, but I figured Id post this just to clear things up for people down the road.

Most private land, you dont see cars parked on the road, etc. Out of all of the places I hunt, theres only one stand where I park right on the road and only during some wind conditions. The rest of the time, Im parked by barns or behind hedgerows or down tractor roads, etc. Youd never think there was someone hunting there if you are just driving by.

Do you have fiber optic pins? My sight just has a short strand on each pin (no coils on the side of the sight) and I can see my pins well past sunset, even in the woods during early season when theres still foliage on the trees.

And right there shows me that you do not get it. We arent talking ARs (voluntary or mandatory), this has nothing to do with bigger racks, and in no way is shortening the season telling anyone what deer to shoot. Its all about lower pressure and herd health equaling better hunting whether you are a meat hunter or trophy hunter or anywhere in between.

Just because you see something on the state land you hunt, doesnt mean much for the state as a whole except for there were X number of hunters at that spot on that day at that time.

I have a small grinder from Gander Mountain, I think its only a .20 hp unit. It does ok, Ive been grinding between 2 and 5 deer per year with it for about 7 or 8 years now. Its slow, but it does the job. Eventually Ill upgrade to a larger one, but probably not until this one is dead. I bought it on a Black Friday deal for $59 IIRC

So use common sense and have a headlamp and flashlight on when you are walking in and out of the woods at those times. I do it. The only reasons I carry those things in my pack is for when I walk in and out and if I am looking for a blood trail. I dont need lights to see where my stands are, I have them on so that anyone that may be around knows its not an animal walking through. Its the same deal as wearing blaze orange IMO. As far as shooting at those times, use common sense, and adhere to basic shooting safety. Id love to hear your opinion on hunting predators at night.

Oh I know he was being a bit facetious with that particular statement, but if you read what he has said on the subject, its pretty obvious that he just doesnt get it, or maybe he just doesnt care.

Making such an extreme statement only shows that you really dont understand management concepts at all. Its fine if you dont care, but dont be whining when you arent seeing deer. It has nothing to do with large antlers, those are a by product of proper management, as is what most would consider good hunting, you know, when you dont have to drive deer out of their hiding spots just to get a glimpse of them.

a 30,000 increase is flat? Dude, you need to stop, youre starting to sound like you eat crayons.

One of the largest parts of private land management is managing the pressure that you put on the deer. You could have a bunch of nice bucks with perfect genetics, food and water sources coming out of your ears, prime bedding, funnels, etc as you want and still kill a very low number of those "trophy bucks" each year if you are pressuring them too much. That is what many people just dont understand. For example, why do so many people have good luck with deer sightings during the last weekend of gun season and muzzle loader season? Because most people stopped going out hunting a week or two before that, so the deer are less pressured and feel safe moving during daylight again. Same goes for bow season, on average, hunters see more deer during daylight hours during early bow than during gun. Its all about pressure. The advantage to short, broken up gun seasons is that it gives deer a break, and time to calm down and go back to their usual habits in between the seasons (aka pressure).