stubborn1VT

New Holland dealer welded on 2 plates with D rings, but wouldn't allow any hooks. Not as handy IMO.

You just adjust the volume. Not 50lbs. I just eyeball it. If you think you are going to come up a "gallon" of seed short, then add that much in sand. I use pelletized lime because I'm always adding a little for pH maintenance.

I'm a Kubota guy based on reliability. I get alot done with a geared 32HP. More horses are better if you can afford them. Another vote for loaded ag tires. You used to be able to get a good deal on a used machine, but the way prices are now you might as well go new. I bought mine used 5 years ago. My buddy bought one slightly bigger last year for more than twice the money.

Dealer wouldn't warranty the bucket if you welded a hook on it. I have one on mine, but my brother's 110HP doesn't because of warranty.

I would stretch the seed with sand or pelletized lime and overseed thin spots a few weeks later with rye.

Triticale is good stuff. Very winter hardy. I have seen it hold up well into winter. A few years back a potato farmer planted some across from my mother's house. When we went there on Christmas there were 9 deer feeding in it. I will say it might not be super attractive until late season.

I think you would be happier with a set of disc harrows. I can't say I know much about harrows sized for a 4 wheeler, but they would be the right tool for the job. Straight forward, not a ton of moving parts, inexpensive (compared to a tiller).

Mowing looks good Rob! Hope your plots come out ok. I just looked it up and I planted mine August 15th last year. Hopefully everyone gets the rain they need.

Sprayed and rolled, or just rolled? Looks great! Just curious, cuz I try to avoid spraying for a number of reasons.

Brassicas are a small, hard seed. They will hang out for quite awhile and just wait for rain. I lean toward planting later every year. I worry about getting brassicas to germinate and then having no rain. I hope to plant brassicas the last week of August. I bought purple top radish, forage rape, diakon radish and a forage kale from Deer Creek Seed and then I blend then myself. I will also plant WI oats as a nurse crop for some clovers. I imagine I will have to wait until mid-September to plant those, in order to stay away from the heat.

X 2.

IMO the accumulation of scent is a positive thing. I've heard all of his "doe factory" theories and I understand what he's getting at, but I don't think it applies here. The biggest deer I've ever got a picture of used a mock scrape multiple times. First couple times were at night in August and September, then again in daylight during gun season. If he finds the scrape, chances are he will visit again when he's in the area. He may not want to live with a bunch of does & fawns, but he's still going to want to know where to find them when the rut is on. Also, all big bucks aren't the same. Just another thing that Mr. "Doe Factory"/ "Drink Glyphosate" and I don't agree on.

I have mowed chicory to 3-4" and it didn't hurt it at all. It has deep roots, so it bounces right back. It's way tougher than many plants. I say give that plot a haircut!

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.