WNYBuckHunter

Thanks Geno! Yeah it wont matter if its a boy or girl, my kids hunt. My daughter loves hunting, shes been going with me for 2 years now, and shes only 6. My nephew is on his way to it as well. I plan on replacing myself with as many younger hunters as I can when Im done with the sport.

Right, longer overall season, shorter gun season, which ultimately puts less pressure on the deer, which equals more opportunity to kill them because they arent running for their lives all the time. There are reasons why states with high hunter satisfaction have that, and 5 weeks of gun seasons in a row isnt part of their equations.

Doc, again I ask, how is the guy that hunts one weekend going to be affected by a shorter gun season? You still didnt answer it. They wouldnt be getting anything less for the same amount of money. I dont know what the perfect number is, but I know what the seasons are in states with a high level of hunter satisfaction. The reason why alot of guys dont pick up a bow is because they dont have the time to put into practicing like you need to with a bow. The crossbow takes care of that, then they just need to build the skills to consistently get close to the deer. Some wont do it, but Id be willing to bet many would. I like how you just sat there trying to tear down a point that you admittedly did not even attempt to look into. Classic Doc.

We arent buying new, not even considering it. Im not big on taking a bath on non-essentials lol. Ill buy something that someone else already took the resale hit on. Yeah thats one heck of an upgrade lol

What snake oil? Bottom line is, you dont believe that anyone thinks differently from you and that maybe, just maybe, you have it all wrong. Its ok, we all know that you are just one of the most stubborn hunters in the state. ;D

We have a pop up now, getting rid of it come springtime in favor of something bigger and easier to setup. We have a line on a 32 foot motorhome that someone we know is looking to get rid of for cheap. We would ideally want a hybrid though. My buddy's 33 footer is nice, but a bit big for me to want to own.

Thanks Doe!

That sounds like a reasonable reaction to an idea other than what you agree with. :

I don't know about the "variety of weapons" point, but there must be some appeal to the things. I hate to keep repeating the same point, but more than half of the participants in Ohio's bowseason now choose to hunt with a crossbow. That does not mean that the same thing will happen here, but it does indicate that a lot of people over there think there's some way that crossbows have some advantages over compounds and other bows. No one should under-estimate the potential impacts that crossbows can have on bowseasons. I just think that the impacts are not going to be immediate, but will take a few years to have the full effect felt. Even in Ohio, it didn't all happen over-night. Doc The largest reason why these guys want crossbows is to use them in archery only areas during gun season. At least thats what they have said to me. The other reason is just to be able to use a futuristic fancy 1% let off compound bow or a crossbow depending on what they feel like using. Another reason I hear from some of the older guys I know is that they will be able to stay archery hunting longer.

Exactly why we should do something to try and keep some of them around, dont you think?

I believe that such a change would be disasterous to hunter numbers. I am of the opinion that there are many hunters who are on the brink of quitting anyway, Such a slap-in-the-face as cranking license fees followed by hacking their season length and then given the insult of being told to make up the difference with a crossbow would most likely be the straw that breaks the camel's back. As I have written many times here, the signs are there that hunters are not as dedicated or enthusiastic as they were years ago. I see a lot of 1/2 day hunters or those that show up only for opening day. It won't take a lot to push them out. What other states may or may not have done decades ago means nothing about our situation today. I think you would look long and hard before finding one state that has slashed their hunting seasons in the fashion that you are suggesting and most likely you simply would not find any at all. And of those few if any that you actually find, it most likely will turn out that such a change was done when hunting was in a much stronger, traditionally sound condition than today. Why would a shorter season push guys out that only hunt opening day or opening weekend? You seriously think that 5 continuous weeks of gun season is good for the deer herd or hunters for that matter? You yourself always say how the deer go into hiding once the bullets start flying. What if you had a deer season where you actually saw deer instead of them spending most of it nocturnal? Im not talking huge racks and trophy deer, just better quality hunting overall. You dont think that once people see the improvements they are going to stay away? The biggest reason I hear for people to quit hunting is that they get sick of tag soup years and years in a row, followed by lack of hunting access. Now take a look at the complaints in NY, honestly, there are alot. Go look at Ohio forums and you wont see nearly as much. The hunter satisfaction in that state is a ton higher than here. There are solutions, you just need to take the leap.

Please give me a reason I can believe that a bowhunter would convert to crossbow if it were legal? Who said they would convert? Just add to the arsenal. All hunters dont go through life with blinders on. Yea right. You know a bunch of bow hunters that want to spend $1000 on a cross bow just to add it to their arsenal. and that is their reason for support. I just don't buy it. You dont buy that people would welcome the choice to be able to hunt with a variety of weapons? Pretty short sighted of you and dead wrong, but believe what you want.

You really believe that hunters would give up hunting? Im sorry, but other states that have short gun seasons and long archery seasons are proof that you are wrong.

Nobodys getting excited lol. Im breathing just fine, thanks. ;D

Doc, I have been putting this idea (not argument) forth for quite a while, I said it a multitude of times on the old Empire site, and its not the first mention of it here. I do think that most people are open to compromise, which is exactly what that season structure would be, compromise for everyone in the name of a better quality of experience. NY is no different than any other state in terms of hunter or DEC attitudes. I think that initially if that season structure was adopted, that some gun guys would be upset, and might not hunt for a year, but they would get over it for the most part, and when they discover the true joys of early and up close archery hunting (with a x-bow), they will get back on board. Maybe I just give people more credit than you, they arent all grumpy old men that cant see the forest through the trees.

Haha, no biggie

If you believe that, I've got a bridge ........ Just think about what you just said, and try to imagine convincing even a tiny portion of the gun hunters to buy into that. And don't try to compare to Ohio. Those hunters grew up with that arrangement. Nobody came along and tried to whack on their gun seasons to the extent suggested here. Look, I come up with some pretty hair-brained management schemes myself, but there has to be some small amount of realism involved or it all amounts to nothing more than a fantasy. I believe that if you spend a couple minutes thinking about it, and then try to consider how you would implement this in a realistic manner, you will understand the kind of revolt you would have on your hands if you ever tried such a deal. A revolt not only among hunters but within the DEC as well. Doc Are you saying that Ohio was always like that? With short gun seasons? Im almost sure at one point it was not, Ill have to look that up. Their season structure is realisitc, and it is pretty damn near perfection. The terrain is not all that different from NY with the exception of the Adaks, and the southern part of the state is a bit warmer than here.

See, SteveB gets it. BTW, I knew that comment would get this thread going!

Thanks!

Nice!

Another vote for Craigslist here. I love that site, sell alot of stuff on there. Buy alot as well.

Yesterday my fiance found out she is pregnant. It happened a little sooner than we were planning on, but what the heck. Looks like we will be moving the wedding back a bit though. We are both hoping for a boy, my daughter is as well.

Good luck!

You know John, I was looking at it last night and I think it would be a one guy or one couple type deal. Doe, we already use a camper for a hunting camp. We park it right off the roads on state land sometimes. You can stay there a certain number of nights without a permit. You need a generator to run the lights, etc. The one we use now is 33 foot. We call it the Hilton on the hill. This teardrop will be for sale, Im just building it as a project. I already have a camper.

Yep, but the subtitles werent all in caps.