stubborn1VT

I'm too smart to defend something as the statement above? Which statement was that, I made plenty Umm... the one I quoted? I think you have way too much time on your hands. Maybe more getting up and turkey hunting and less circular arguments on the internet? Just a thought. I checked on the thread. I'm out. Have fun.

That whole generation of Bushnell scopes is underrated IMO. The Elite series are as good as any scope I need for hunting in the Eastern US. I can see it might fall short in the wide open of the West.

And here I thought you were at least trying to stick to the facts. You just love to debate this stuff, which is fine, but you end up trolling to keep it going. There is a difference between getting stabbed with a knife and shot with a bullet. You're too smart to defend something a dumb as the statement above. Do better. Crossbows hurt your delicate sensibilities. That's the long and short. You struggle mightily to come up with reasonable arguments against crossbows. NY has tons of deer. In many places, there are too many deer. There aren't so many hunters. Crossbows are a very efficient way to kill deer at short yardage. They are also safer to use than firearms in many settings. I wish everyone had the time, money and commitment to take up hunting with a vertical bow. It makes you a better hunter. That's not going to happen. Complaining about crossbows does more harm than good. Sitting up on your high horse defending the purity of bow hunting only divides hunters. Railing against other people using crossbows doesn't make you a principled sportsman, it makes you a snowflake.

Buy a longer bow. I shot down to 36" with fingers, no problem.

Just not too far forward, apparently.

Do any hardcore "archery" guys shoot trad, or even fingers? I don't have much patience for the idea that a compound is so hard when almost all use a release. I get some of the anti-crossbow feelings, but the idea that a modern compound and crossbow are SO different is beyond me. This archery tackle with a trigger is okay, but that archery tackle with a trigger is no challenge and only for slobs. SMH.

A softer steel wool and good amount of regular motor oil will fix them up. Rub them down with the steel wool and then wipe them clean with a cloth. Repeat if necessary. Two old guys who run gun shops turned me on to this and it works.

I've seen them do that when they're spooked. This was in Central Vermont, so 5:10 was early. It was a clear morning. Just confusing to me because if he could see the decoy, then he should have seen me put it out. I walked back to the tree, picked a different tree 10 yards away, sat down and he flew down. 30 years of turkey hunting and there's always things to learn!

Quick question for you experienced turkey hunters: What is the earliest you have seen a tom fly down on his own? I got caught setting up on a bird opening day. He must have been able to see my decoy and flew down around 5:10. I got my face mask on and made the best of a shoddy setup. He put on a heck of a show for 20 minutes, strutting and gobbling for my hen decoy about 80 yards out. Two live hens flew down and hurried away from him. I yelped at him and got him to come within 50 yards, but as he circled further to my left I had to move the gun and got caught. It was still fun. Didn't connect the first two days and now it's back to work. Saw lots of deer (which was encouraging), more turkeys than I expected, and a bear that spent every evening grazing in some hay fields. Congrats to those who connected. It's a long season. Looking forward to getting back out, but I'm busier than usual with work. We shall see...

I started doing this as well. The turkey population has taken a dive around here over the past couple years. I suppose I should focus on possums as well.

Took the boat out for the first time on Monday afternoon. 40 degree surface temps on Champlain. Feel like I got lucky with this salmon. Lousy picture, but a 4.2 lb fish.

I was in a boat on Champlain 2 weekends ago. There was still some ice floating around and the water was too damn cold for active fish (34-35 degrees) but we did give it a go and land one laker. I'm shooting for next week with my little boat to look for salmon in shallow.

Marinade: equal parts oil, soy sauce and maple syrup. I add course black pepper and a bit of minced garlic. I cut a wild turkey breast into bite sized pieces and marinate. An hour will do the trick. Longer works too. Cook quickly in a frying pan on med-hi heat. I serve it with Stove Top. As long as you don't overcook, it's tender and flavorful. I have to admit I don't check in as much as I used to. Too much politics. I feel like this place is an echo chamber most of the time. There are some folks on here that I would really like to meet in person and there is some serious knowledge on here, but this site would be twice as enjoyable with a zero politics policy. ( I can stay out of the politics section, but it shows up in every other thread anyways.)

I picked up 275lbs of fertilizer on CL. It is a blend formulated for hemp, but I will use it on plots and fruit trees. $50. Should be all set for the year, unless I do new plot at the family farm. My brother and I cut a bunch of firewood out an area, so there should be enough sunlight. I'm going to check it out today, check cams and batteries and keep my eyes open for turkey birds.

Happy Birthday Biz! Hope the new state treats you well, and GO SOX!!!