CharlieNY

My son scored on a bird with his compound bow. Notice the arrow in the bird. valoroutdoors.com

Apexer this video should help you out. I especially agree with him about setting the decoys out 15 yards and broadside to you. This has worked for me many times.. valoroutdoors.com

I will be shooting a 3" Stoeger Model 3000 turkey gun in 12 gauge with a 24" barrel. I have a Burris Fastfire 3 sight mounted on it and I use Winchester Longbeard 3" ammo in #5 shot. I have shot several nice birds with this gun including the fan mount in the picture. Good luck to everyone and stay safe and healthy. valoroutdoors.com

Apexer- maybe this video will help you out. The first half is my son and I on opening morning last year. This is our setup in our ground blind and will give you a good idea of how we set up. This has paid off for us consistently for the last few years. I will caution you- don't expect it to be this easy. There is always an element of luck involved. However if you are in an area where there are birds around, time and patience will eventually pay off. valoroutdoors.com

Here is my advice to you. I hope it helps you out. 1. You did the right thing by patterning your shotgun. This is essential. If the long beards give you a tighter pattern, then go with them. Price of the shells should not be the determining factor I would personally never shoot at a bird at 60 yds. unless I patterned my gun at that range and had a good pattern. I never shoot past 40 yds. regardless. 2. Quality decoys do make a difference. Less is better than too many. I would go with the 2 better decoys and would add a quality jake decoy.. Set the decoys close together and no more than 15 yds. from the blind. 3. Blinds are a great asset. If the inside of your blind is black, then wear black to blend in. If you plan on leaving the blind to run and gun, camo is the way to go. I open the windows right after I set my decoys. You do not want to try to open them when a bird is coming in. You will be picked off. 4. You have some good calls and there is no need to buy any more calls. Practice with a youtube video on using your calls. There is no substitute for practice. 5. A jake will have a real short beard which will only be a few inches long. If the jake fans out, the feathers will not all be the same length. The feathers in the middle of the fan will be longer than the other feathers. Lastly, and most importantly, be PATIENT. Don't get discouraged if you don't hear or see a bird. Many birds come in silently and many are taken later in the morning. I hope this helps you out and good luck to you. valoroutdoors.com

I can't stop laughing. Vic hits it out of the park with this. valoroutdoors.com

This is the latest order on the Corona Virus pandemic from the Governor. What do you think? valoroutdoors.com https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2020/04/new-york-to-require-masks-in-public-starting-this-week-cuomo-says.html

Happy Easter to everyone and their families. valoroutdoors.com

My son and I put up 2 wood duck nesting boxes in our swamp today. We used the commercial DuckHut boxes and they are nicely made and were easy to put up. We have a lot of wood ducks in the swamp and wanted to give them an assist. It was a beautiful day to get out. valoroutdoors.com

My son and I were able to get out today to do some rabbit hunting. Weather and ground conditions were near perfect and the beagles did a great job. We decided to shoot 1 bunny each and let the dogs run the rest for fun. I'm looking forward to some delicious rabbit stew. valoroutdoors.com

My son and I go bear hunting in Maine every year and the outfitter that we hunt with uses them to hunt coyotes in the winter. The attached photo is from one of his hunts. valoroutdoors.com T

I know your wife is dead set against a beagle but you can't beat a beagle for a good rabbit and pheasant dog along with being a terrific people loving dog. If you plan on keeping a beagle in the house you should have no problem with noise. Just get a puppy or a young dog and spend time training your dog. I have 3 beagles now and have had beagles for the last 58 years. I have never had a problem training one nor have I ever had to get rid of one. Whatever you decide on I wish you good luck. valoroutdoors.com

The farmer's almanac recommends 8 to 12 months for uncooked wild game. This would probably be the best recommendation for the best tasting meat. But it would also depend on how the meat was wrapped. If it was vacuum sealed it would definitely go longer as opposed to being wrapped in freezer paper. I have used venison that was over a year old that had been vacuum wrapped and it was very good. valoroutdoors.com. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.almanac.com/content/freezer-storage-times-how-long-can-you-freeze-foods%3famp

Happy New Year to all the great people on this forum. Have a safe and healthy New Year. valoroutdoors.com

From your deer old friends. valoroutdoors.com

Merry Christmas to everyone from me and my 3 beagles. valoroutdoors.com

Al, the Benelli SBE's do in fact shoot high and Benelli designed them to be this way. Their philosophy is to use a 6 o'clock hold on your target which is foreign to us and almost impossible to use on a fast flying duck. Many hunters have complained about this to Benelli. There is a simple fix that Benelli recommends to lower your shot pattern. Replace the front sight with a large bead fiber optic sight like those made by Truglo or HI Viz. These can be attached directly behind the front sight without removing it, and attach either by magnet or tape to the vent rib. My son shoots a SBE 2 with a Truglo large fiber optic bead front sight and his gun shoots patterns to point of aim. He uses this gun strictly for waterfowl, and has made some good shots. The fiber optic bead will help you keep your head down on the barreI to improve your shooting. I hope this helps you out. Good luck. valoroutdoors.com

I've used Hoppes #9 for over 60 yrs. as my primary cleaning solvent and it is time proven. I use it on all my guns that shoot smokeless powder. As to muzzle loaders, it depends on the propellant you are using. If you are using the Savage 10ML with smokeless powder then Hoppes #9 is what to use. If you are using black powder or black powder substitutes like Triple 7 then hot soap and water works great. If you are using Blackhorn 209 then you must use an oil based solvent. See the link for more on Blackhorn 209. I hope this helps you out. valoroutdoors.com. https://www.blackhorn209.com/specs/general-cleaning/

Moog I use Federal Fusion 140 gr. Factory ammo in my 7mm-08. Every deer I have shot with it have been 1 shot behind the shoulder kills including the 8 pt. Buck I bagged this year. My son shoots Federal Fusion in his .308 and bagged a 7 pt. Buck and a doe this year with one shot behind the shoulder kills. Federal Fusion ammo is also very accurate and not too expensive. valoroutdoors.com

Hey TC you broke the first rule. Lol it happens to the best of us. valoroutdoors.com

I am pleased to report that another member saw my post and has contacted me. He has advised me that he has a needy young hunter he has taken under his wing who would be the perfect recipient. valoroutdoors.com

I have not yet received any replies. I am bumping this post back up in the hope that someone will see it over the Thanksgiving holiday and help out a needy young hunter. valoroutdoors.com

Happy Thanksgiving to all of the great hunters on this website and their families. Thank you to all of you who have given a Like to my past posts on the forums. I appreciate your likes. valoroutdoors.com

I have used mine on the ground when turkey hunting in the Spring with no issues. The cloth cover that comes in contact with the ground can get wet on the ground side but it will not soak through to your behind. I never tried mine on a log or rocks. valoroutdoors.com

Apexer it doesn't compress down very much. It has a gel core like the gel in the gel insoles that you put into shoes for comfort. We do not install or we remove any seat pads that come with our stands and we carry the seat into and out of our stands whenever we hunt. valoroutdoors.com