Hello from Dutchess County

[ctballos]

Hi Folks,

My name is Tom Ballos and I currently live in Hyde Park.  I've been happily married for 30 years, have three boys and two grandsons. I like motorcycling, shooting, photography, camping, vegetables, meat, and Jameson.  

I've never been much of a hunter but at 59 years old I've always had an air rifle of some sort in the closet. Currently and for the past 25 years I've  been using a .20 cal. Sheridan pump. As a matter of fact the kids grew up with it. It's been a great plinker and I've taken my share of yard squirrels with it.

But now it's time to move up. I've decided to expand my plinking to small and medium size game, probably mostly squirrels and rabbits which are plentiful around here, tasty to, I've heard. I've been lurking the air gun forums, reading reviews of guns, scopes, pellets, fps, fpe, etc. and I have decided to go with a precharged air rifle (PCP). The power, accuracy, and ease of use just seems unbeatable as long as you can get some portable air to carry along.  Or a hand pump!

I bought and recently received my new Daystate Air Ranger Tactical in .25 cal. with an FX 6-18x44 SFIR scope and the Huggett shroud upgrade (pic below). Now it's time to find a place to shoot it. I need to take the Hunter Safety course soon and plan to look for a Sportsman's Club in the area so I'll have somewhere to BS about my hunts.

I welcome myself aboard and I'm hoping to hook up with some local folks down the road as I don't have much woods experience when it comes to hunting and don't really know where to go to shoot.

[oblivitar]

Welcome to the forums! Nice gun, Ive been looking to jump into pcp rifles now for a while too. Leaning towards the airforce talon ss .25cal. As to where to hunt in dutchess county......i couldn't find anyplace when i lived in hyde park. Always traveled to uslter county to do my hunting.

[josephmrtn]

WELCOME

[F-150]

welcome !!!!

[ctballos]

Welcome to the forums! Nice gun, Ive been looking to jump into pcp rifles now for a while too. Leaning towards the airforce talon ss .25cal. As to where to hunt in dutchess county......i couldn't find anyplace when i lived in hyde park. Always traveled to uslter county to do my hunting.

 

Hi oblivitar,

 

The Talon is a nice choice, super powerful, I think 50 FPE in 25 cal.  And I have seen some pretty nice ones in pics.  Like the one attached.

 

[shawnhu]

Marauder .25 a predator light mounted.

Couple squirrels in Putnum.

Welcome to the PCP world!

[Deerthug]

Welcome to the Forum and the brotherhood Tom. I too started hunting at a later age. I was 40 yo and have been hooked ever since.

[Dinsdale]

Other than you like veggies......guess you can stay.

Get signed up for a hunting safety class, that sometimes is the hardest part; they fill fast. Listings on DEC website; might be able to get something around Ulster so look for other counties nearby.

Tree rats a bunch of fun to hunt.

[ctballos]

WELCOME

 

Thanks Joseph.

[ctballos]

welcome !!!!

 

Thanks F-150.

[ctballos]

Other than you like veggies......guess you can stay.

Get signed up for a hunting safety class, that sometimes is the hardest part; they fill fast. Listings on DEC website; might be able to get something around Ulster so look for other counties nearby.

Tree rats a bunch of fun to hunt.

 

Looking for a class now.  And looking forward to hunting down some of those tree rats.  Thanks for the welcome.

[Dinsdale]

Looking for a class now.  And looking forward to hunting down some of those tree rats.  Thanks for the welcome.

 

I know there a class coming up next week for 3 evenings at Millerton R&G......

 

Not sure of anything closer in Dutchess right now.

 

Squirrel lasts for a spell season wise, so you may not make the opener but there's plenty ahead.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I took my bow course at Millerton. It was awesome.

[Dinsdale]

 

I took my bow course at Millerton. It was awesome.

Same here......I'm down the road a bit from there. I think the same guy heads all of them there; Frank?

There's always a flier in the Pine Plains Stewarts for classes there it seems.

[Elmo]

Welcome aboard, Tom.

[ctballos]

I know there a class coming up next week for 3 evenings at Millerton R&G......

 

Not sure of anything closer in Dutchess right now.

 

Squirrel lasts for a spell season wise, so you may not make the opener but there's plenty ahead.

 

Thanks for the source.  I'll check into them.  I've got some time as I still need to sight in the scope and I haven't been able to find a place without joining a gun club.  Which I do plan to do.

[ctballos]

Welcome aboard, Tom.

 

Thanks Elmo. 

[ctballos]

I took my bow course at Millerton. It was awesome.

 

Thanks for the input Elmer.  I'll be checking them out.

[AaronBlaine]

welcome

[ctballos]

welcome

 

Thanks Aaron.