Judoka95

I had a local farmer stop by Tuesday night and ask about planting alfalfa in my fields. Looks like I my have a free food plot for 2023. This would allow me to focus time and resources to smaller plots in the woods.

Cherry peppers are really starting to pop. I can't keep up with the pears falling from the tree.

Biz, do you harvest the tomatoes when they are yellow and let them ripen up (turn red) on the counter?

I have a 724 Woodmaster and I use Winchester Supreme ballistic silver tips in it and I have not had an issue. I thought I was the only person on this forum who would admit to using a 742

Your going to accidentally start a whole other thread on compasses.

This is our go to.

I have used some of those techniques also. I brush hog a winding lane through the middle of my fields, and i find that the doe will use that path over trying to fight through the thick weeds. I have a stand that is surrounded by thick briars, and I cut a path through them every year. the deer will start using it the next day. I try to create paths of least resistance in some areas and install resistance in other areas. The other parts of the equation are using the natural terrain to your advantage and using their existing travel routes. my goal is to "gently" guide them.

Let me start by saying that I do not agree with that statement. but let me finish by saying I laughed my a$$ off and I appreciate your sense of humor even if we don't agree on politics.

I have not tried the smelly shirt thing, but I have cleared and blocked trails. I had loggers on my property a few years ago and the tops they left completely changed travel routes. I used it to my advantage and opened new travel routes to pass closer to my stand locations. I also built-up barriers using tops and branches to redirect. It was amazing on how fast this worked. I found tracks on the "new" trails within a few days. I have created a few pinch points or funnels over the last few years. It doesn't need to be done all at once. I've settled into incremental improvement, I do a little every year and see what works and what doesn't. I would also say that most of the new movement are doe who tend to travel in groups. Lone bucks seem to like the super thick travel routes and are harder to influence, but during the rut the bucks come to the doe.

Yes, I purchased the 24" rifled, cantilever barrel for it when I bought the gun. It was my first Mossberg and is my preferred gun for hunting almost everything. I also had a tragic boating accident where all of my other firearms were lost but, I still preferred it over many of my rifles. There's just something comforting about using a .50 cal. slug.

I wish someone had mentored me on this when I was younger. I could have saved myself a lot of money. 1 - Quality boots and clothing. (things that are going to keep you warm and dry, not the newest camo pattern) A hand muff with some HotHands was one of the best and cheapest purchases I ever made. 2 - Firearm in a tried-and-true caliber that is readily available 3 - Quality optics - again doesn't need to be the most expensive. I use Nikon ProStaff on almost everything. and don't get overly high-powered magnification. you're not going to be taking 600yrd shoots anytime soon. 4 - Functional pack for the type of hunting they will be doing. I like a small pack with multiple pockets to keep my gear separated. 5 - Seat pad or chair (how will you keep your ass warm and dry) Parting advice: Keep it simple, the more crap you bring into the woods the more noise and movement you tend to make., and the more weight you end up carrying around. Leave the toys and gadgets for the guys on TV.

Sodus.

Mossberg 535 ATS. But like I said earlier I have not used them in my gun. My only experience with then was in my BIL's 870.

I still have some Federal Premiums that have the Herb Philipson's price tag on them. That should raise their resale value alone.

It was a new gun and scope so we started with the laser bore sight and moved to 25 yrds to get it on paper. after that we moved out to 50 and 75. We would have a good group, then a bad group. it was frustrating to say the least. He was using an 870 with a rifled cantilever barrel. I typically stick with my Mossberg 535 ATS, and I do believe that certain guns like certain ammo. What works well for one may not work well for the other. I also hunt thick woods, so I do not need 150-yard accuracy. I prefer a heavier bullet for the "knock down" and most of the deer I have taken on the property have been within 40-50 yards.

I see that Bass pro has some Accutips and they have a 5-box max limit on them. They are $25 per box. The reviews of SST's seems to line up. Some people love them, most people hate them. My Brother IL tried them last year and we had issues keeping a group at 75 yards. Even with a Caldwell lead sled the shots were all over. we would get 2 shoots within an inch or two and the third would be a flyer that was off by 6-8". we checked the gun and scope and after multiple boxes we switched back to the Winchesters.

I have been using Winchester Supreme 12 ga. sabot slugs (below) for years. Over the last few years, they have been increasingly difficult to find. I see Hornady and Remington available but I don't have any experience using them. Anyone have positive experience with other brands? If I have to re-sight in my shotgun, I only want to do it once.

Wait one minute... You don't drink coffee in the morning? What kind of a psychopath gets up at 4am when it's 32* outside and doesn't have a cup of coffee? I literally bring 2 thermoses of black coffee with me after I finish my morning coffee.

Hoyt Power Hawk - Bone Collector Draw 30" (need 32") Draw weight 60lbs Gold tip Hunter XT 300 arrows 3 vanes 2" came w/ arrows NAP Hell Razor 100 gr. 3 blade fixed broadheads

I guess my real question was, who is going out for the early antlerless season???

I wouldn't say I'm assuming, I know roughly how many deer are on my property because I live here and see them every day. I see the new fawns every year, and I see the numbers on my trail cams. I am also familiar with my neighbors and what gets harvested on their properties. I know I am in a region that the DEC considers having a high number of doe and I have only harvested 2 doe in the last 3 years. Most of the larger fruit farms around here have started installing high fences to cut down on crop loss which also limits food resources for the herd. I would probably call it more of an educated guess based on deductive reasoning. which sounds better than ass-uming.

I've never really considered myself a meat hunter or a horn hunter, and I have never really made an effort to "control" the doe population. If I see a mature deer, I will typically take it and i usually only take 1 or 2 deer a year. This year will be a little different. I plan on putting 3 deer in the freezer and I have a few family members that I will be pushing to harvest does. I always like seeing a big herd of deer in the back field, but I also realize that big numbers don't always equal a healthy herd.

I hunt in 8F and last year the idea of getting out with a gun before bow season just didn't feel right to me. But I think I am warming up to it. Obviously, the DEC believes we have too many doe in these areas and assuming this is true, it should theoretically be beneficial to the overall herd. What does everyone else think?

You guys have convinced me to get a Blackstone. I've fought it long enough.

A big consideration in this should also be service. It WILL eventually need service. If the dealership has a good reputation and is close by, it can make a big difference in the total cost of ownership. Some of the New Holland/LS dealers that look like lawn tractor sales places probably don't have the same parts inventory or service center as a larger dealership. It sounds like the Massy dealer is close by and if they have good reviews, it may be the best choice for you. I would just avoid some of the tractors that are coming from Korea and India. I have heard horror stories form people trying to get parts and service.