CharlieNY

Dan- I shoot a 7mm-08 and it is a pleasant rifle to shoot with very little recoil. I shoot Federal Fusion 140 gr. rounds out of it. I have shot several deer with this rifle and everyone I have shot (shoulder shots) have dropped dead on the spot. I think it is the perfect whitetail caliber.

Please read the attached link from the N.Y.S. Dept. of Environmental Conservation. I agree with the experts who know what they are talking about and encourage hunters not to shoot young bucks so that we can get a shot at some mature bucks in the future. valoroutdoors.com https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/1725874

I live just outside of Auburn and we got hit big time with the storm- 32.4". That is just the snowfall, not counting the high winds which created 4 foot plus high drifts. What a bummer right after the start of the gun season. Going to have to take an intermission from deer hunting until some of this snow melts down. How did the rest of you get hit by the storm and how will it affect your hunting? valoroutdoors.com

Thank for the support grow. I am not worried or concerned about it. I taught the Hunter Safety Education Course for many years and practice what I preached. Ethics and obedience to hunting rules and regulations are an integral part of hunting, as much as equipment, marksmanship, and the like. You are right- just about everyone carries a cellphone and you can access the sunrise and sunset tables on your phone. There is also times posted on page 77 of the DEC Hunting Guide, in addition to newspapers, websites, etc. The people who try to justify shooting outside of legal times use the same flawed argument that people who drink and drive use- that they are not affected like everyone else, and can be safe. valoroutdoors.com

Straight from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definition of poacher 1 : one that trespasses or steals 2 : one who kills or takes wild animals (as game or fish) illegally See words that rhyme with poacher No ethical hunter should be defending "hunters" who disregard legal shooting times and break the law. Ask yourself this question- Would I tell my young son or daughter who is just learning to hunt that it is o.k. to shoot before legal shooting time? valoroutdoors.com

Like all of the other replies on here, I heard shots both yesterday and today long before legal shooting time. It makes me wonder if there are any hunters out there who are actually obeying the law. It seems to me that if they are willing to break the law and shoot before legal shooting time, then what and how many other laws are they willing to break in order to get a deer? We should all be condemning those "hunters" who don't play by the rules and make it more difficult for those who obey the law. valoroutdoors.com

Let's see if they will keep their word. We can only hope! .http://www.syracuse.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/11/celebrities_leave_us_trump_president.html#0

I voted for Donald Trump. I heard Hillary's concession speech, and despite everything I dislike about her, must give her some credit for a decent and proper speech. However, Tim Kaine her V.P. running mate, took the stage before her. He sounded like a campaign speech. He Never congratulated Donald Trump or Mike Pence who opposed him. Shame on him.

If you plan on using a crossbow during the early archery season in the Southern Zone starting on Nov. 5 make sure to comply with the crossbow regulations. You must have muzzleloader hunting privilege to hunt with a crossbow during the early archery season, and if you took your hunter safety education course prior to April 1, 2014, you must complete a crossbow certificate of qualification which must be signed and carried with your license. The link to the crossbow certificate of qualification is below, or you can find it in your Hunting Regulations Guide. I just wanted to remind everyone of the regulations. Good luck to all! http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/98061.html www.valoroutdoors.com

RangerClay- check your owner's manual on your crossbow and see what the minimum finished bolt weight (bolt with broadhead) is recommended by the manufacturer. I have a TenPoint crossbow and the manufacturer recommends a minimum finished bolt weight of at least 420 grains. I am shooting 20" carbon bolts with 125 gr. standard Slick Tricks and they are unbelievably accurate and shoot right to point of aim. The finished weight on them is 427 grains. I did try some 100 gr. broadheads on the same bolts and they shot terrible. It may be as simple as using a higher weight broadhead to solve your problem. See what your manufacturer recommends- no one can give you better advice and be sure and weigh your finished bolt to be sure you are above the minimum recommended weight. www.valoroutdoors.com

I shoot Blackhorn 209 out of my T/C Triumph rifle. I use regular Hoppes #9 to clean it and it removes all the 209 residue without any problem. Just use the same procedure you would use if you were cleaning a modern centerfire rifle and it will come out shiny clean. valoroutdoors.com

I'm still using the pee willie wick scent dispensers but they went out of business a few years ago. www.valoroutdoors.com

I also have a T/C Triumph. I shoot Hornady SST-ML High Speed Low Drag Sabots 250 gr. with a powder charge of 90 gr. of Blackhorn 209 powder. This combination is extremely accurate out of my rifle and is deadly on whitetails. I hope this helps and good luck.

Here is the way that I see it. Bowhunter instructors and professional bowhunters teach you to wait for a period of time before you start tracking a deer that you have hit. Deer rarely drop within sight after being struck with an arrow. They also teach you that if you start to track too soon, you will only push the deer and reduce your chances of recovery. Now for the rain. Nothing washes away fresh blood like cold water. Many times there is not a highly visible blood trail even with a good hit. The rain will make that blood trail disappear in minutes, and you will be searching for your deer without a blood trail. It will be more likely than not that you will not find your kill. I would rather not hunt in the rain, than hit a deer and not recover it. We all have to make our own choices.

http://valoroutdoors.com/ Please check out this website which my son just started and leave him a message that you visited. He is a U.S. Army veteran and is currently a Police Officer who absolutely loves the outdoors and enjoys communicating with other sportsmen.

If it is raining hard, I will not be going out. It is my opinion that it is not ethical of a bowhunter to go out in a downpour. Deer hit with an arrow rarely drop dead on the spot, and bowhunters are taught to wait awhile after hitting a deer, and then follow the blood trail to their kill. Nothing washes away a fresh blood trail like cold rain, and without a blood trail the chances of finding a kill are next to none. Some of you may disagree with me, but I would rather not go out than hit a deer and never find it.

I also bought that same trailer a few years ago. I added 2x6 studs for the floor and attached them with carriage bolts and fender washers under the mesh. The mesh is not strong enough to handle a large ATV. It will sag from the weight over time. It is much less expensive to attach the 2x6 or 2x8 studs yourself and all you will need is a drill and either a socket or wrench to fit the nuts. As the trailer is exactly 8' in length, you can buy 8' studs from any lumber yard and you will not have to do any cutting. You can then also attach eye bolts to the studs for anchor points for your tie down straps.

I also use the Butt Out II and would not be without it in the woods. It weighs next to nothing as it is made of plastic, and when used correctly, is a handy time saving gadget. For anyone who has tried one and had bad results, the key is to turn the tool no more than 1 1/2 turns after you insert it, and pulling it out in a steady even pull without stopping. Many people who try it make the mistake of turning it too many turns and end up ripping the membrane before pulling it out, or stopping part way through the removal. I hope this helps.

If you set them up too early and they are in the sun, the fabric will become sun bleached in a short period of time during the summer, especially with this hot and humid summer we have this year. If you leave them up in the winter, you will risk the chance of collapse, even with the roof supports. I like to set them up a few weeks before season, and then take them down immediately after season closes. If you do this, they will last for many more years without any significant damage. I do the same thing during the spring turkey season- up a few weeks before and down immediately after season.

Paula- please be very careful running your beagle in this hot and humid weather. Your beagle, like my 3 beagles, is so devoted to the run that he will not stop unless you stop him from running, and he may suffer heat stroke and even possible death if you do not stop him after a short period of time. I will not run my dogs at all in this weather, and I sure do not want to put up with the insects and poison ivy this time of year. I never run my dogs during the summer, and believe me, it has no effect whatsoever on their hunting quality come hunting season. In my 50+ years of owning beagles I have never run them this time of year.

I have had beagles since I was a young boy and I currently have 3 beagles. All of my dogs have been and are rabbit dogs. Bones looks to me to be a muscular dog and does not appear to be overweight as his belly does not appear to be sagging at all in the photo where he is sitting. I would just feed him the correct amount of dog food for his present weight and when you run him in the fall, I'm sure he will be just fine. Just be careful with giving him treats and do not feed him table scraps. Beagles are known gluttons and will eat as much as you give them. He looks to me to have good potential as a hunter. Don't worry about field trials- what counts is the great days you have hunting with them. Those days are priceless.

I have a single hen that walks by my ground blind on a daily basis and has done so for the last 2 weeks. I call her the "gabbing hen" because I can hear her coming a mile away and she never shuts up. She constantly yelps, clucks, and cackles as she walks her daily route, but I have never had a gobbler follow her. She is so vocal that the first time I heard her coming, I thought it was another hunter trespassing on my land because I figured it was a hunter walking and excessively calling. I am sure she has a nest nearby. The only good thing is that I can practice by calling to her and she responds and we "talk" a lot. There is no better way to learn good calling techniques than by practicing with a real live wild hen.

I just heard Hillary on the national news talking about gun laws. I would put Trump "light years" better than her, and the leadership of the NRA is well aware of this, This is the reason for their very early endorsement of Trump.

Kudos to the NRA for their early endorsement of Donald Trump for President. Join the NRA and show your support of gun owner's rights and the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I have 2 ground blinds facing fields, Rain or shine, they are warm, comfortable, and dry to hunt out of, When the mosquitoes come out, I hang a thermacell in the blind to get rid of them. Both of my blinds are extra large blinds which hold 2 adults comfortably, and I usually hunt with my adult son out of them. Only problem during the rain is that the "pitter patter" of the rain hitting the roof of the blind makes me fall asleep in the blind, and I have to concentrate on staying awake!