stubborn1VT

Good eye on the tail Wooly. You'll notice it's narrow too. We have 3 juveniles that come to our bird feeder at night, but only when the weather is harsh. They're a hoot to watch. They had the hanging feeder spinning like a revolving door/ treadmill. There are lots more of them out there than people know. You just don't see them. Another reason that trail cameras are a cool and entertaining.

That's pretty awesome! Like those crab claws. Nice find! Or finds.

Good points AT, and Happy Birthday. Hope it's been a good one. Putting a mock scrape 30 or 40 yards from an existing scrape has worked for me. I've heard of people using their own urine to start scrapes, but never tried it myself. Why not?

I've never heard of anyone using last year's scrape to start a new one, but it sounds like a good idea to me. I know deer use the same scrape sites year after year. Making mock scrapes isn't hard. Snipping the licking branch is a great idea too. Go for it! When I was young, I made a pair of mock scrapes in a couple open spots in a travel corridor full of maple whips. The buck read the script, and stopped with his nose in my mock scrape, broadside at 60 yards. I was rifle hunting. I forgot to chamber a round after climbing into my homemade treestand. The buck actually flinched when I dry fired on him. Luckily, he got over it and walked into the second mock scrape, and I took home an older 7pointer.

I Grow, I have plenty of both, but I have zero interest in using a pulley to hang a tree stand. I believe you have admonished people to have FUN wit their hunting endeavors. I concur. I was just pointing out that saving a couple bucks by building your own stands could lead to more work on the installation end.

I know people that have made them. They work, but they are really heavy and not much fun to hang.

I don't find DFA hard to follow at all. He's using complete sentences. I still have questions, but he's doing a fair job of illustrating some theories on the buck/doe ratio.

They may be right on a VERY large scale about the buck/doe ratio, but I can't think of a way to reconcile it with what I've seen in real life. Even if bucks have a higher mortality rate, it doesn't make sense to me. If they're born at the same rate, then why is the composition of the herd so drastically different? I run a similar number of cams, also year round. A neighbor had 24 doe behind his house in July and August. Some could have been button bucks/ buck fawns. I just don't see how fawns born at a 1:1 ratio can lead to the herds that I've seen my entire life. Sure, we shoot bucks during rifle, but plenty of does get taken during bow and ML. I think in northern climates with harsh conditions, that more doe fawns are born. You may be right. It's awful hard to see the opposite and just accept a scientific theory as a fact in all cases.

Changes in the ratio of doe vs buck fawns is not a myth. It varies for all kinds of reasons. In all my years of watching deer, I have never seen anything close to a 1:1 ratio of doe to buck fawns in the hills of Vermont. I spent a summer on Martha's Vineyard, where they deer density is extremely high, and saw all kinds of young bucks. I'm all for science, but not when it goes directly opposite of first hand observation.

Animal husbandry... geez. I don't think the 1.5 year old bucks need any special management, and they certainly don't need husbands. Nothing wrong with it I guess, but it wouldn't do much for overall deer numbers.

I probably don't give them enough credit. You certainly give them too much credit. The term "animal husbandry" was misused. I simply pointed that out. How often do you hear hunters rave about the great job their state does managing the whitetail deer herd. Between the politicians and the biologists, they generally do a poor job. Excuse my lack of faith. You can savor their Kool-aide all you want. Forgive me if I'd rather see the "parade" continue. At least I'll know what to expect.

Homemade round bale blind would probably do the trick. Plenty of DIY info online. I'm hoping to build one out of electrical conduit and 2x4s this year. I will place it in an open hayfield between a couple power poles. The tall grass that grows around the poles provide a bit of cover, and the deer and turkeys hang close to it. I'm hoping to customize the windows so I can comfortably shoot my bow out of it. I don't truly need a blind that looks like a round bale, but I've always wanted to build one. Plus, I'm thinking it will last longer than a pop-up. My 2 cents.

As I get older, I like a ladder stand better. Simple to get in and out of, especially in the dark. The shooting rail is an added bonus. They're usually more comfortable as well. A lock-on is a close second, paired with a set of climbing sticks. They're super versatile. I use them to make adjustments during bow season. I shot both bucks out of ladder stands last year. A few years back I hung a lock-on and a set of climbing sticks in the rain around noon, and shot a nice buck with my bow that evening when the rain stopped. They both have their place. I like the idea of a climber, but it seems like WORK to carry everything, climb etc for a single hunt. I usually end up sweating, and that's no good. I know some great hunters that swear by climbers. I mostly just swear at them.

Animal husbandry is a science, but by definition applies to domestic animals. That is because the amount of variables is controlled on a farm, allowing for strict management. It doesn't apply to free ranging animals that face varying challenges like weather, availability of food, and hunting pressure. There are too many variables to think that you can simply manage a state's deer herd like they were a docile herd of cattle.

I like threads like this. We all have our preferences, but it's good to get different points of view. I have had good luck with Primos Predator Den. I like the Predator camo pattern, and I give it good marks for durability. I have sat in it during some serious downpours, and stayed totally dry. Shot a couple bucks out of them with the rifle. I haven't had any kind of luck with the bow out of a pop-up blind, and have switched to a natural blind like Boo, except with more brush. I enjoyed using them. Years ago I scouted a cut cornfield midday, cut a "nest" in a hedgerow, built a bench out of field stone, and shot a small doe that evening with my bow. There's nothing like using your wits and what's on hand to get it done. I have been curious about the Barronette (Big Mike) blinds. I see them at Dick's and like the looks of them. I'm only 5'8", and read reviews that say the windows are up high, and hard to see out of when seated. Anyone have any experience with this? I'm looking forward to less snow and more Spring weather. Apple tree pruning, turkey scouting, brush blind building & repair, food plotting, and new tree stand sites are all on the To-Do list. Can't wait!

Not the case in VT. I know felons that hunt with ML. Asked the game warden about it. He said it was legal, unfortunately.

Oh. Cool.

It's my understanding that a ML is not considered a firearm. Thus, no FFL. A convicted felon cannot possess a firearm, but CAN hunt with a ML. I'm not a lawyer, but that's what I've been told by a gun shop owner.

I'd like to think the last sentence? of this post is a joke. Statements like this show the elitist side of this debate. It makes me think that you have more in common with anti-hunters than people who choose to shoot "that small 6." I'm not totally against antler restrictions, but I'm 100% against the attitude that "big buck hunters" get to tell everyone else how to hunt. I would never tell you what to shoot. Do you value your big bucks or your supposed balanced herd so much that you want to regulate others right out of hunting? It seems to me that whitetail numbers need to be controlled so deer density isn't dangerously or detrimentally high, or precariously low. Other than that, it's just personal preference. Buy your license, choose your weapon, and shoot what you legally can. Blanket regs from the Long Island to the Canadian border don't make a bit of sense either. Between anti hunters, loss of access to hunting land, more gun regulation and fewer young hunters, we have enough problems. I'd like to think that I didn't have to add misguided QDMA/ antler restrictions to the threats faced by an average hunter. Maybe I'm way off base, but I really doubt that the majority want 3 or 4 on a side. In my experience, more regulation isn't the answer.

So 60-70% of folks who take surveys and/or belong to hunting clubs want AR? What does that prove? The whole thing reeks of self interest cloaked in biology. At least be honest about it. Besides, who doesn't like a parade?

Who knows Larry. I found it hard to believe that 7 in 10 hunters are in favor of change. That doesn't agree with human nature. People don't really like change. I also get a kick out of the wording. All this change is to "protect yearling bucks". LOL. As if yearling bucks are some kind of endangered species. The real goal is to grow big ol' wallhangers. Why not put that in the survey results, instead of hiding behind theoretical biology. Given a day of internet research, I could craft a slanted article of my own, complete with fake statistics and justifications to promote MY point of view. And another thing that irks me about AR is that they make exceptions for youths. If they're so serious about protecting yearling bucks, then why let the "utes" whack them? We have what we call the "spikehorn rule" here in VT, meaning no shooting spikehorns. (The kids get to shoot them.) I see bigger bucks, but some of that is because of fewer hunters in the woods and less access (more posted land). I don't mind our spikehorn law, but 3 on a side would make me furious. It doesn't really matter to me what the regulations are in NY, but I can't stand the wishes of the few dictating the rules for the many, especially when it is disguised as "what's best for the herd".

Batteries just plain don't last forever. Seems like the batteries we had on the farm when I was a kid lasted a long time. Now you're lucky to get more than 5 years it seems.

I don't find those #s even remotely convincing. You can find a statistic to prove anything.

A 9+ year old battery? You did well!

Don't know about PA. I don't believe that ARs are about herd health, it's about bigger racks. If that's what the majority of hunters want, that's great. The only biology involved is the fact that older bucks will have bigger bodies and often have bigger antlers.