stubborn1VT

I enjoyed Luke Cage and the Defenders was ok. I couldn't get into Iron Fist. I like Punisher well enough. Lately I have been watching Justified (again) on Amazon Prime. It rocks.

To suggest that taking coyotes out of the ecosystem would have no impact is laughable. I understand they kill deer/fawns, poults and other game animals. The bulk of their diet is rodents. I have a much bigger problem with mice than I do with coyotes. That is not to say that I don't shoot coyotes. They help balance the ecosystem. I don't believe the natural world is only there for my use and enjoyment. Critters have to make a living too. While it's true that I would like fewer coyotes around my house, I can handle their existance more easily than a plague of GD wire chewing, nest making, tree girdling mice.

Never done it, so I don't know. A cheap (but wealthy) customer of mine did it with his 25HP Massey loader. He got the molasses through a food co-op. It couldn't have been that expensive, because he's a real penny pincher.

You can also use molasses, which is heavier than washer fluid.

I have wrangled both emu and ostritch. Both tasty critters, but emus are friendly and ostritch can be nasty mean.

Totally agree with you Dom. My buddy's stepdad plowed snow for the state. He used to grab up roadkilled deer and throw them on the seat in his big plow truck. He fed alot of us growing boys through the winter! I don't deal with roadkill in the warmer months, but fresh roadkill in cold temps doesn't bother me any. Why let it go to waste? Best roadkill I got was a 130lb doe that broke its neck on the tow mirror of a F350. It flopped in the ditch in front of my buddy. He threw it in his hatchback Escort and hung it in my garage. Good times!

Fish tacos are awesome! I like to use bluegill fillets because they're so thin. Cabbage, sour cream, fresh lime juice, and regular or pineapple salsa. I've also added avacado or bits of bacon. Planning on fishing bluegills and northern on Wednesday or Thursday on Champlain, depending on the wind forecast. Nice pic. Made me hungry just to look at it.

Interesting. I don't know of any farms that no-till without spraying. How big are your plots? On a small plot it would seem like you would need to get good yield to make it worth the effort. The only no-till I have seen has been on farms or on hunting shows on TV. It's good to hear that people are trying it without glyph. Sounds like you're on the right track.

My thoughts to you and your family Eddie. Best of luck to your son in his recovery. My cousin had a stroke in her early 40's and is now back to 100%.

It really depends on your deer density. Many people consider a half acre to be the minimum for a soybean planting for deer. I planted about 1/3 of an acre last year and didn't fence it. It was totally fine, as our local deer density is fairly low, and there is tons of other Ag for them to feed on. I'm a big fan of soybeans. Mine didn't get a ton of use until late season, but when the cold weather arrived the deer were here every day/night. I would get the plates if you already have the planter. I broadcast, and it works out ok. I will probably increase my seed rate a bit. I end up with bare spots, and have to go back and reseed. You should be able to avoid that with the two row planter. I use Ag beans, mostly because I get them for free. I've seen pictures and video of the Eagle forage beans, and they are impressive. Pods are more of a priority for me. I expand my bean plot a little every year, hoping it becomes more of a destination. Any soybean seed should do the trick for deer, and beans are lots easier to grow than corn IMO. I will incorporate feed corn into my rotation. You might consider planting one plot in each. Your soil might benefit from the soybeans, as they are legume and don't feed as heavily as corn. I don't think you are wasting your time with plots that size, but each case is different. If you have a high deer density, you might need to fence them. Hope this info is helpful and good luck!

For them it's not so much a survival situation. They spend their entire year preparing for winter, and have years of experience. It would be normal for any of us, if we grew up in it. I sometimes wonder how the time commitment of hunting, gathering, and growing food would compare to that of a full time job. I imagine it wouldn't be so different than running a farm. Like Airedale, I grew up doing many things that would help me be self sufficient. I suspect that it would be awfully inconvenient, but not necessarily life threatening. The one thing that would be important for me, would be to pick the right day/time/weather for each task. I would need to get the most out of my efforts, and know when to conserve my energy and when to get after it.

Good info Steve. I've just had bad experiences with the shotgun. I suspect buckshot would fix my issues, but I always seem to call in coyotes when I'm turkey hunting. I love my .22 Mag. Some people feel they aren't enough gun, but I have always been impressed with the energy transfer. They do have a limited range compared to the centerfire varmint rounds, but for the woods and at night I find it ideal. Probably my favorite gun to shoot. Always wanted to set up a .22-250 or .223 for coyotes, but always found another use for the money (like food, gas, insurance bill etc.)

I have never planted crab apples. I plan on ordering Whitney crab apples from a nursery this year. Deer will destroy apple trees if they find them and they are hungry. I plant my seedlings in tree tubes for the first year, then switch them to wire cages once they are a little bigger. No deer problems so far. You can fence them individually using 4 or 5 foot tall fencing. Just use the tag ends of the fence, or zipties, to make a circle. Anchor it with a couple T posts. I would also recommend using some kind of wrap or paint or protection on the trunks, close to the ground. Mice will chew the bark and girdle them when they are still small. Good luck!

So you've blamed the loads, the choke, and now my shot placement. I'm not buying it. I have shot coyotes in the head and in the chest with turkey loads at less than 40 yards and they ran off! I have friends that have had similar experiences. I don't mind that we disagree. It does seem odd that you are determined to explain my results (or lack thereof) away. By the way, I totally agree with the .22 Mag. I use the Remington rounds and they hit hard!

This was with an 870 with a turkey choke. Can't get much tighter than that!

Great pics! Thanks for sharing. Those Brownings appear to be be top notch.

How does the flora in the dirt do with all the glyphosate that goes along with modern no-till methods?

I have had good luck with the Remington .22 Mags. I have shot coyotes with 3" 12 gauge copper plated #4 turkey loads. I have yet to recover one. These were all coyotes called in to turkey decoys and known yardages. We can hunt coyotes year round. I need to get off my butt and try calling them soon. Never had any luck with that. I saw a big yellow male earlier in the week in my picked over soybean plot. There was a bobcat in almost the exact same spot yesterday just before dark!

I know guys that have used Champlain Sportsman Supply. They are in Alburg, VT. I'm thinking of having my Browning done. Besides adding serious protection, the colors and patterns are just about endless.

I would stick with buckshot. I have rolled too many coyotes with turkey loads (all 30-40yds) and had them run off to have any confidence in them. I shot one coyote 3x and never found him. I'm not sure if that was #4s or 6s. I've had good luck with my .22 mag under 75yds.

I get what you're saying about hitlists, also what you're saying about how our posts are read/perceived. My social skill are obviously lacking in some areas. If you look back at the thread the tone had already taken a turn for the worse. That doesn't mean I should direct my annoyance at you. There are alot of differences between NY and VT. Vermont isn't so bad, but it's limited in alot of ways. It will never be western NY. We do lose sight of the fact that we're all hunters. It is something I should keep in mind when people on here irritate me. I just think we all put too much value on our experiences and forget how limited they are in comparison to the great big world of hunting. "...post like that though. I mean WTF?" Seems a little sensitive to me, but I guess it's all in how you read it.

I have used them a few times. I had my doubts about them, so I tested them last fall against Duracells. At least with that batch, the Duracells outlasted them by quite a lot. I will still use the Amazon batteries, but probably not in cold weather.

All deer are reported in VT, unless they're poached. Antler score isn't reported. I'm just going by the VT Big Game Trophy Club. I was also speaking from personal experience, and I don't know guys with hit lists. VT may be behind the times, but meat is important to the hunters I know. It is my opinion that antlers are not the driving factor for most hunters. I'm really glad you know guys with hitlists. I don't. The area I hunt has very few bucks over 2.5 and having a hitlist is kind of silly. I don't understand your last 3 sentences.

That's the stuff! I don't buy your "facts" as proof. I know that's hard for you to understand. You don't speak for any hunters that I know. Maybe NY is driven by horns, I couldn't say. It sure as heck isn't in VT. You can stand on your soap box all day, but repeating yourself doesn't make your Kool Aide true. As a farmer, business owner, and veteran, I'm secure enough in my manhood to call your line of BS what it is. Stick with the playground mentality, it suits you.

You crack me up. You think you are qualified to speak for the hunting industry as a whole? You need some kind of medication. I just get tired of seeing you speak for all hunters, that's all. There's no use discussing anything with you, cuz you're a know-it-all. You pizz all over everyone and can't handle any other point of view. I gotta go get some ice fishing gear ready for tomorrow. Stay frosty. You will always be a legend at the keyboard, and in your own mind!