greybeard

Sounds really good. I hope that you are successful. I'm looking forward to seeing some photos, and reading the details of the hunt. If you mount the head I'd like to see a photo of that also. .

Well that's one take and maybe so, but I think He'd be TRULY Pro life and have compassion, which is unlike many who profess to be. Many Christians call themselves pro-life when in fact they are pro-birth. IF they were truly compassionate and pro life one way that they would show it is that they would all welcome the refugees who are being slaughtered. (after appropriate vetting). He would also be for universal health care and never consider cutting medicaid from the poor and , elderly . He would also be pro marriage and not support divorce. I agree, I think that he'd follow some conservative beliefs, but in my mind, he'd be more liberal. As far as being from downstate... I have traveled quite a bit, including upstate, as well as staying well informed through reading and watching ALL sides of political issues( I watch, and read conservative news as well as liberal news). I listen to many different views and draw MY conclusions. In these times everyone seem to want to preach their beliefs in every social setting so I never have to ask how they think. I have read quite a bit of the teachings of Jesus, as well as a number of the teachings of Buddha. Both of whom I consider great teachers of love and compassion. So, I have a lot of thoughts on this issue, but they are MY thoughts and since this is a hunting site, and not a religion site I won't take this further. I just don't think that this is the proper forum for religion and MOST of my deeper thoughts are very personal., and I never discuss those. So, in conclusion, I do respect true Christian beliefs and envy those people who truly believe without question because for those TRUE believers it is comforting and their path to heaven. We are all entitled to our beliefs. I don't know you, but from your posts, I assume that you are a true believer, so I applaud you for that.

I hear,all the time, of all these people who follow Jesus, and that's great if that's what they really believe and live their lives according to those teachings. However, what I have see, most of those people wouldn't vote for him for President if he was here today...He'd be a liberal !! So how much do they truly believe ?

great work.. that coyote looks alive..

My wife and I were "high school sweethearts" too. It is great growing up together and are still best friends, and constant companions. We've been "together" for over 50 years , but we didn't get married for a # of years after high school. We were married for 46 years this past 4th of July. I did not attend my 50th reunion . I loved the times and have great memories of that era, but wasn't into school at the time. Thanks for sharing your story and congrats.

NYBowhunter. I didn't want to give the impression that I was paranoid about hunting, and I am glad that you don't run into anti's in Manhattan. I worked in Manhattan, but it was in the 70's, and in NYC thru the 90's, and I have had similar experiences involving interested non hunters who were not anti. However, I did run into a number of anti hunters. After I retired (19 years ago) for some reason I came across more anti's. They were not a majority , but there are a number of them. I was told in the 60's that we'd lose our guns and never believed it even to this day. I also think that there will be hunting for many reasons including the financial end which you pointed put. I just beleve that hunting is on the decline and that hunters should not be infighting(antis never in fight), and we should be informed. However, I have seen too many changes to ignore what I observe. For example.. Loss of waterfowl hunting in ALL of Huntington waters, caused by anti hunting feelings because of a hunter's actions. Town ordinances which negatively effect waterfowl hunting. Closing of many areas where I used to hunt because of land use. A united front of anti hunters against specific types of hunting, for example, The squirrel slam, Predator contests, etc..... The coining of the phrase "canned hunts" by antis to cause anger against legitimate hunting related legal operations which service gun owners who , for there own reasons, want to frequent High Fenced Hunts. There are many other reasons, but there isn't enough space and do not want to create any discussion that will cause bitter discussions.

I find the new vocal ads on this sight to be EXTREMELY annoying. They are too loud, and disruptive. How can I turn them off ?

I , mostly, agree with Four Seasons, but I know that it won't change significantly in my lifetime. Through the years, I have had many conversations with non hunters about hunting, many of which were not generated by me. Many of those conversations are with conservatives, some of whom are pretty far right. I was surprised at their opinion of hunting and how they think that it's not really sporting. I realize that this, in reality, it is just from a few people, but it was enough to make me take note of lack of support for hunters. I found it odd that they would find such sport in fishing, and not in hunting. For about the last 20 years I have been interested in opinions about hunting and OFTEN read articles from hunters as well as anti hunters about their opinions and their actions in support of and opposition to hunting. I brought up something that was going on by anti hunters once on this forum and was criticized for it so I never brought up anything like that again.

Glad that you're doing ok.. Down here, it's not uncommon to have people walk dogs off leash in areas frequented by people where there are signs "NO DOGS". Three times, at Jones Beach State Park I had dogs come at me as there owners ran them on a clearly marked"no Dogs" beach. I pushed one away with a stick, another time, I was fishing and 2 BIG dogs came t me, so I waded a little deeper , and the 3rd time it was called off by the owner. There's never an apology. That's only examples of one area on L.I. It seems like very few areas will enforce the laws for dogs, but if you fish in the wrong area they'll make you leave even if no other people are there.

I looked it up t see what they looked like. You're right.. "neat looking fish".

No. I never heard of it.

I used a recurve. Because of the bow talk here, I looked for and found a photo of me with the bow and carp form one "hunt"... It was so long ago that I had a black beard..

That's how it was on that little pond. In fact, the reason that I fished for carp there was because I stopped to look at the pond and watched the carp just milling around and eating the berries after they fell into the water. They seemed to be just focused on the mulberries. I keep records of most of my fishing/hunting days and I remember recording 9 in one day, but that was not on a fly. It was mulberries on a hook. When I did the "corn fly" it was not near the mulberry tree, and I did not see any berries by the tree. I think that it was the time of year when the mulberries hadn't come out yet. I used to have some good, small pond, carp spots where I could sight fish for them, and even shot some with a bow in one of those ponds. However, as the years went by I checked those ponds and they dried up. Where I bass/pickerel fish there are some guys who fish for them a lot. They use long rods and have a bell attached. They get some nice ones. They eat them.. yuck !! When I was a kid, we fished for carp all the time and I ate one once, it was horrible. I'd rather eat a brant ! I kept some, at times, because I would use them for crabbing for blueclaws. They worked good( I rememkber that they were full of mulberries)

prayers sent

I used to carp fish in a VERY small pond near my house. mostly with spinning gear, but also , at times, with the fly rod. It was sight fishing..I did best with hook and bait using my spinning rod, but did o.k. with the fly set up. I tied some yellow thread into a small ball and chummed with corn. When I saw the carp eating corn I'd cast the fly into it. I also fished under a mulberry tree, in that pond, because the carp were always eating the berries as they went into the water..I tied a small clump of deer hair about the size of a mulberry and cheated by squashing a mulberry onto the fly. They'd hit the "fly" take me right into the backing on the 1st run. .. I "think" that I used a size 4 hook for the "mulberry fly". Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think that the carp were line shy. Every year I think about going for carp again, but my favorite lake has pickerel and largemouth and I can't seem to make the time to rig up for carp there.

wow !! really nice carp.

That's a lot of turtle lives saved.. I'm curious...I saw a wood turtle in the Adirondacks years back, but I've never seen a box turtle upstate. Are box turtles that far north ?

The wind was supposed to pick up so I took the kayak for a shorter run and easy fishing on the north shore of L.I. I trolled to my porgy spot and picked up a small striper Then dropped bait for easy fishing and got some nice porgies, and a few sea robins. I got 1 fluke and took 2 pictures. One picture is deceiving and it might look like he jumped. Fluke don't jump so it's just him thrashing around and me lifting him up with the rod. The wind did pick up and I had to paddle for about 1 mile against wind and current so I ended the day early. I released everything

I was driving north of Lake George in Chestertown, New York in the mid 70's and saw this snapping turtle on the road. I thought that it was alive and went to get it off the road, but found that it was dead. Maybe he got rolled over by a passing car because it wasn't damaged. I picked it up and later I skinned and mounted him. I'm glad that don't see too many hit by cars. Nice job Grow.

I have lots of pictures of sea turtles. Here's 2

I went out this morning to kayak fish on the north shore of L.I. The area has produced some BIG blues and stripers, and when I can't locate either I porgy fish. That particular area has been a little slow recently so I went out to see what was there, but catch and release porgys were my thought. Plenty of adult bunker around with nothing on them. So I rigged for porgy. The tide was not good for them in my "hotspots", but I paddled and rigged and dropped my line anyway. (My first spot is under an osprey nest and mamma didn't like that I was there and let me know it. I didn't want to disturb her so I went to spot #2.) The porgies were there and I got a number of them. I like to eat them, but just didn't want to fillet them today. Some were pretty good size. I also got some sea robins. It was a beautiful day and paddled about 3 miles. Lots of crows, as usual and redtails soaring and sceaming.(.I love a redtail call.) Also, ospreys all around. I took pictures of one average porgy for the day and a sea robin.

great photos..Thanks for sharing them. I caught 1 spotted turtle on eastern Long Island about 35 years ago when I was training a coonhound in an area with lots of ponds. I never saw one before, or after that on L.I. I caught musk, and painted turtles a lot in lakes at Bear Mountain. I kept a baby musk turtle in a tank for a few years and then put him back where I found him. I named him Rockland. He ate a lot of my fish One fall I was surf casting on the south shore of L.I. and saw a sea turtle. He must have gotten lost. Once, about 2 years ago, I found skeletal remains of one here ...I see lots of them on a beach and got good pictures, but that;s VERY FAR from Long Island.

I would have liked to see a begging snapping turtle. I'd be amazed too. When I was a kid and Long Island we would catch box turtles every summer. We'd keep them for a month, or so then release them. I still see them, and wood turtles also on rare occasions in a wooded area not far from me. You can't catch them anymore as per NY law. As kids we used to try to catch and release different types of turtles..... nice memories. I see a lot of sliders in the ponds and guess that they were released originally by kids who used to buy them. At times, I have seen them on sunny winter days, when I pickerel fished, which surprised me.

I see quite a few terrapins here on western Long Island mostly on the north shore, but I do see them on the south shore too. They seem to be numerous in one spot that I fish. I saw one laying eggs in Freeport one morning a few years ago. I have accidentally snagged them on the side of the shell a few times while retrieving a lure.

I found another picture so I thought that I'd add it to here with some info. We went to Kauai after the Big Island in May 2016. We took a helicopter tour over the Island because we wanted to see Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali coast from the air. As we flew over the Island the pilot showed pointed out an area where he boar hunted. I had just finished a goat hunt on Hawaii and hadn't prepared to hunt Kauai so I decided to scout for, and hopefully learn about possible future hunting. I knew that Kauai didn't have sheep, but they do have goat and boar hunting, There are even some blacktail deer in spots on Kauai, but I think that the success rate is low. After asking locals where "boar areas" were I set out every morning, with a camera to see if I could find any. One morning, I managed to spot 2 pigs and spooked them. I saw where they were heading and cut them off through the thick brush. I got within 25 yards and had a stare down with the bigger one for a bit before they meandered off. I got some pictures and figured that Id research Kauai/Niihau hunting when I got home. I found some , and spoke to hunting outfitters on Kauai for boar . I, also, learned a LITTLE about hunting on the Island of Niihau which is privately owned and has a free range boar/ram package as well as Audad and Eland hunting. I don't know too much about Niihau hunting, but the little that I know sounded interesting. The Niihau hunt includes 11 mile helicopter transportation from Kauai and back. I wasn't sure when I'd get back to Kauai so I put hunting there on my bucket list, but then decided to see about ram and boar hunting on the Big Island. I found an outfitter who hunted various game including boar and rams , which is where I've gotten the rams Nov. 2016 and May 2017, and just haven't gotten my head into doing the boar hunts yet.