CharlieNY

Like many others, the most recoil I have experienced is shooting 3.5" turkey and waterfowl loads out of a 12 ga. pump shotgun. I now only shoot auto loaders which definitely soften the recoil. Most experts will tell you that a gas operated auto loader will soften recoil more than an inertia driven auto loader. I have both and actually prefer the inertia driven system on my Benelli vs. the gas systems. I feel more of a push with the inertia system and more of a punch with the gas system. I have added Sims recoil pads to my guns, and they definitely soften the recoil and are real shoulder savers. If you are experiencing a lot of recoil out of a gun, you will inevitably flinch when shooting which will result in missed shots or wounded game. Also, as you grow older (like me), recoil will be more of a concern to you and you will want a soft shooting gun which will be a pleasure to shoot and not a pain. valoroutdoors.com

On Wednesday I went out to feed my 2 beagles in the morning. My male beagle Butch was acting sluggish and ate his food slowly, which is unusual for him. Later that day he vomited his food and was acting more sluggish. Yesterday morning I went out to feed the dogs again and Butch would not come out of his doghouse. I thought he might be dead inside. I looked inside and he was laying down barely able to stand. I got him out of the doghouse and he could barely stand up and had a hard time keeping his eyes open. He tried to urinate and have a bowel movement, but could not. He would not even smell his food. I called the vet and she said to bring him in right away. I told her about his symptoms and she immediately took blood and ran a test for lyme disease which tested positive. He was given an injection of antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory drug. I was given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory pills to give him. This morning, just 1 day later, he is much better. He ate this morning and was able to relieve himself, but was still just a bit sluggish. He should be fine after a few days. This disease is very serious and something you should do everything to avoid. valoroutdoors.com

My prayers to your uncle and all of your family. Stay strong for your family. When times get really tough, try and remember the great times you had hunting with him. My dad passed away many years ago and remembering the great times I had with my dad helped to ease the pain, and I thank God for the wonderful times we had together.

Take a look at my post under Who's ready for the AM!!?? Here is link to the short video. valoroutdoors.com

Here is the short video of my super close shot of the 22 lb. tom this morning. He came in dead quiet from behind us and we never saw him until he was right in front of us. My son just had enough time to turn on the camera for the shot. valoroutdoors.com

Just posted Sunday about blind hunting and how much I agree with TreeGuy that ground blinds do not spook birds. I mentioned that I have had great success in the past out of a ground blind and low and behold, did it again today. Tom came in quiet to attack my jake decoy that was 10 yds, in front of my ground blind. I had to wait for him to circle around the decoy so as not to shoot the decoy. Result was a jellyhead kill. Bird is 22 lbs., 10" beard, 1 1/4" spurs. Can't be happier! Notice the ground blind in the background. valoroutdoors.com

I will be going out in the morning with my son. We have 2 blinds set up on my property, one of them is almost identical to the one in TreeGuy's photo. The blinds do not bother the birds at all and are a definite asset to us. We have bagged some nice adult toms out of our blinds in the past. Give one a try sometime Buckmaster 7600 and I think you will never regret it. In addition to keeping you concealed and keeping your movement concealed, the blinds keep you warm and dry and comfortable, and will keep you out for longer periods of time. valoroutdoors.com

Almost 30 yrs. ago I was out rabbit hunting with my basset hound and he took off on a long running bunny. After he got out of hearing range, I couldn't find him all day. I left my hunting coat in the woods at the end of the day and returned the next day and he was still lost. My kids were young at the time and were devastated. I looked for 2 more days to no avail. I was sure something terrible had happened to him. On the third day I was driving the roads around the area where I lost him and as I drove by a farmhouse, I saw him on the porch. He was soaking wet, cold, and hungry, but was wagging his tail when he spotted my truck. I am sure that if anyone has ever lost a dog, they know it does not compare to losing a material item which can be replaced. valoroutdoors.com

Lawdwaz- I just recently went through the same unfortunate experience. My 13 yr. old beagle Dusty had to be put down 2 weeks before Christmas. He had gone totally blind and deaf, could not handle the cold weather, and would just hang his head and sulk. It pained me to see him in this condition and I knew his time had come. I took him to the vet and she agreed that it was the right thing to do. Dusty gave me many years of terrific rabbit hunting and I deeply miss him. I can only diminish my grief by reminding myself of the wonderful life he lived with me, and the many memories of many happy days together out hunting. Dusty is the beagle on the right in the attached picture. valoroutdoors.com

Thank you to everyone who contacted me with their recommendations. I was able to book an archery hunt at the Harrisburg show for the first week in November with an outfitter in Ohio who was highly recommended to me by many of those who contacted me. I will report back in November after the hunt with the name of the outfitter and how the hunt went.

Am considering a whitetail hunt this Fall with my son in Ohio. If anyone can recommend to me a good outfitter who they have booked with in the past, please let me know. I am looking for a complete package hunt including guide, lodging, etc. We will be going to the Harrisburg Show coming up, and if I receive any recommendations and the outfitters are there, I will look further into a booking. Thank you.

I also have a pair of Tubbs and they are very easy to walk in and suit me perfectly for rabbit hunting. When looking at snowshoes, you will want them in the 8"-10" width for easy walking while hunting. The length will be determined by your body weight. The more you weigh, the longer length you will need. Most snowshoes have a weight to length rating, and you will probably need something in the 25" or longer length. It is best to get them a little longer. Additionally, check the bindings and keep in mind the type of boots you will be wearing the snowshoes over. My Tubbs have the ratchet style bindings and I find them very easy to tighten and release even with cold hands, and they hold my snowshoes very firmly. valoroutdoors.com

Check out the link below. This will tell you clearly how Madonna really feels about hunting. valoroutdoors.com http://ew.com/article/2016/09/01/madonna-donald-trump-sons-hunting-photo/

Shooting deer makes you a successful hunter, not a better hunter. I passed up many young year and a half old bucks during the season as I believe in "let em go and watch em grow." Several of my friends shot young bucks who do not agree with my outlook. If shooting a deer is the sole measure of a better hunter, then these friends were better hunters than me. I do not consider them to be better hunters than me by any means. The measure of a good hunter is much more than merely shooting a deer. valoroutdoors.com

Read the article on the attached link. This might have an effect on your opinion as to whether the gun season, or any form of deer hunting season in this State, should be longer. valoroutdoors.com http://www.wideopenspaces.com/top-10-worst-deer-hunting-states/

I didn't take up bow hunting until I was older (in my 40's) and my young son at the time became very interested in hunting with a bow. Additionally, I have my own property and decided to get some more use out of it to compensate me for the high property taxes we pay in this state. Boy did i get an awakening. I began to see huge bucks that I had never seen before and that disappeared as soon as gun season started. My first buck with a bow turned out to be the biggest buck I have ever taken. I had actually seen this buck several times and saw him run off all the other bucks on my property before I took him. I have taken many nice deer since. I enjoy the beautiful Fall colors during the early bow season, the mild weather, and the additional challenge and satisfaction of taking deer with a bow. As for my son who is now a young married man, he is addicted to bow hunting and takes all of his vacation during bow season. valoroutdoors.com

Doc- when there were game farms here in New York that had wild boar hunts, I went on several with my son. The reason I went on several was because the meat was so delicious. They were Russian wild boar and I had them professionally butchered. They ranged in weight from 250 lbs. to 325 lbs. and you would get a ton of meat from one boar. We would get so much meat that I would give some to friends and family, many of whom swore they would never eat any wild game. Everyone who tried it was delighted and begged me for more meat. Some of our hunts were group hunts of 5-10 hunters, and everyone of them got the same opinions, and we would go back to hunt as a group. Unfortunately, they were banned in New York State and no longer exist here, and you would have to go outside of New York State to hunt them. valoroutdoors.com

My son shot this really big doe on the last day of early archery season. I drove my ATV up to her to get her out and avoid a cardiac. valoroutdoors.com

I believe that way too many tags are given out in certain areas to begin with, and that has had a direct influence on the quality of deer hunting. As an example I hunt in 7F with my son. We hunt with bow, gun, and muzzleloader. We both each received 5 tags each, for a total of 10 tags between the two of us (including our DMP permits). We could have gone back and gotten 2 additional doe tags each when the leftover DMP tags became available. That would have been a total of 7 tags each, or 14 tags for the two of us. There is no logical reason for us to fill these tags and I personally despise hunters who fill tags only because they got them and use the "if it's brown it goes down" mentality. We have taken 2 deer so far and are now predominately hunting for a mature buck. We have passed up many young bucks and does. We only take that which we will use. I have no problem whatsoever throwing out my unused tags at the end of season, nor does my son. There is much more enjoyment and satisfaction to hunting than just filling tags. The time I spend in the woods hunting with my son is priceless, and we don't need to fill a tag to have a great day together.

In addition to the good advice given by other members, another option is to get yourself a portable Mr. Heater heater for the blind. They are small and use the disposable 1 lb. propane tanks. They have them in several sizes and models and they will warm up a ground blind in no time. It is not necessary to keep them on all the time you are in the blind- you can turn them on and off as needed. They will also burn off any dampness in the blind, which contributes to getting cold. My son gave me one for a birthday present and I only will use it on the most bitter cold days, but you may want to use it more often for the g/f. valoroutdoors.com http://www.basspro.com/Mr-Heater-Portable-Buddy-Propane-Heater/product/10210207/

One thing that no-one has mentioned is the danger of encouraging your dog to chase deer by feeding it deer bones. If you have a hunting dog, you want to avoid this. I have beagles which are my rabbit hunting dogs. Many beagles have a natural proclivity to chase deer and you do not want to encourage them by feeding them anything from a deer at any cost. I will not even go near my beagles if I am wearing my deer hunting clothes or boots that have deer scent on them from previous successful hunts.

In addition to what Larry302 said, be sure to leave your boots in a warm place overnight, not in an unheated garage, basement, or in your truck. If your boots are already cold when you put them on, they will only draw the warmth from your feet. Would you leave your boots in the refrigerator overnight and then put them on? Of course not, and leaving them in some of the places I mentioned are places that are colder than your refrigerator. If your boots get wet or moist put them in a Peet boot dryer overnight. This will dry out your boots and warm them up for you. valoroutdoors.com http://www.basspro.com/Original-PEET-Boot-Dryer/product/99738/

I don't believe there is really a correct or incorrect answer to this. Just this morning my son and I went out in a steady cold rain. We sat in a ground blind to stay dry and warm. We expected to see nothing and there were no other hunters out in my area to move any deer. We actually saw several deer cross one of my fields early, and later on saw a button buck cross the field and bed down on the corner of my woods. He stayed there for about 1 hr. and then crossed back through the same field.There was a steady rain the whole time. In regards to snow, I have seen and taken many nice deer during snowfalls, and actually prefer to hunt in them.

This is one of the greatest deer hunting videos I have ever watched. God Bless this young boy! I hope he has many more memorable hunts like this. valoroutdoors.com http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2016/11/24/best-whitetail-deer-recovery-video-2016/

This is oh so sad. My condolences to the family. With that being said, some basic safety rules were ignored resulting in this tragedy, along with a possible violation of legal hunting times. Let's all strictly follow the safety rules and be safe out there. There is no deer or game out there that is worth endangering a human life over. Be sure and be safe. valoroutdoors.com http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/11/son_fatally_shoots_father_in_thanksgiving_day_hunting_accident.html#incart_m-rpt-1