T_barb

Paul, I am going to switch topics on you.. You mention that you hunt in PA.. I am curious to get your opinion on the impact of antler restrictions in PA... It has been a number of years and i hear that it has made a huge differnce.. You are obviously someone that has spent a lot of time hunting pre and post antler restriction, so I thought it would be intereting to get your view.

you may want to also consider buying a "Can".. I have had a lot of luck with it in early november.. Just don't over do it...

We have seen anumber of young bucks (spike, 4's, small sixes) chasing does and responding to grunt calls...

We have seen a few good bucks outside of shooting range, but have been right at dark or just going point a to point b (..not interested in grunting yet)..

Tried some rattling this weekend with no success. I usually have good success with rattling and halloween weekend last year, I rattled in a number of bucks including a nice mature 8pt.....

i have seen more scapres and rubs then I ever have in the 5 years that I have owned my property.. Anywere there is a branch hanging over the edge of a field there is a scrape.

Just curious to see what others are seeing..

I know that things will heat up in the next week or so and the switch will get flipped...

ditto what Tank said.. Can't this year, but would be interested next year and beyond

Not sure where you are hunting, but you certainly don't get away with that stuff where I hunt in Livingston County...

Sometimes when you blink at the wrong time you are screwed...

That is awesome... I am hopeful that I can still hunt when I am your mom's age.

I have had good success the past few years with doing some fairly aggressive rattling.. I usually hold off until later in the morning. I do a sequence of rattling (20 to 30 seconds) and then wait 15 minutes. and repeat 2 or 3 additional times (an hour of total elapsed time)... I find that the immature bucks will come after the first sequence and the more mature bucks will come in during/after the later sequences...

Wondering what kind of grunt calls people are using.. I am stuggling to find one that I really like..

I am just hoping that the weather ends up being better than what they are currently forecasting for Saturday

Bob 13,

In my opinion, what is more important than the gun is a gun choke tube and enough experience with the gun to know how and where it patterns.

I have a basic 870 that a friend of mine camo painted (..he does a really nice job). I have a good quality "turkey special" choke tube. I shoot winchester 3 inch shells, with #4 shot. The gun patterns very well and can reach out and touch them a fiairly long distances...

Not the fanciest gun in my collection, but I am highly confident in it when I am out in the field.

That is my 2 cents..

Thanks for sharing..

it is amazing because it gives you a sense of pride & joy, and angry all at the same time

Here is a good one that I had on my camera when I got down to camp this weekend.. It is the only picture I have and is not very good, but there is enough there to tell he is a good one...

i changed the camera position so if he comes through again, I will get a better shot..

I don't reload, but also don't shoot a ton.. I can start saving my .40 S&W brass and let you know whenever I accumulate a couple hundred rounds..

When you look at these pictures, you quickly realize that NYS has the potential to be in the upper tier of states in the U.S. We have the habitat and significant agriculture to grow some real monsters, but also to grow bucks of consistent quality.

I think the only thing that we are lacking is an overall strategy to cultivate the great resource that we have.. I am not sure if the DEC doesn't have the resources to give this the attention it needs or if people are fearful of making some radical changes...

In my opinion, all you need to do is look at what has been done in other states like Ohio, Illinois, etc... When you look at the increaed land values (tax base), revenues from travel and out of state liscencses, etc.. You would think it would be a win, win for the hunters, states and DEC...

I just don't get why status qou seems to be the acceptable answer????

He is definitely a GOOD one!!

Hoping I get a chance to put him out of his misery.....

Click on picture to enlarge (date and time are not accurate..this pic is from last week)...

was off of Braddocks this morning and it got pretty snotty out there.. It is one of those days where it looks good from shore until you get out there.. Also, temp was deep... 70 degrees with 110 feet of cable out in 120

What is this strong south wind today going to do to temps on the south shore? Blow the warm water out and the cold water slides in underneath?

pics added...

I have a Mathews Outback bow for sale.

It is right handed, 27.5" draw with a loop. It is 70# draw.

It comes with a Montana Black Gold fiber optic site, Whisker Biscuit rest and a dozen PSE Carbon Arrows (..a couple need inserts and a couple need a fletch replaced, but all in good shape).

String is in good shape and it has always been professionally maintained

Great set-up at a reasonable price of $450... The only reason I am gettng rid of it is I got a new Z-9 as a birthday gift.

I've got a place to shoot it her at the house if you come look at it.

PM me here for more details..

Picking up a Z9 from Phil tomorrow as well... Ditto what Gene said.. It doesn't get any better than Indian Mountain.

The time Phil spends with you in priceless!!

I used to have the fastest thing out there, but I guess i have matured a bit and now realize that shot placement is what it is all about. I kind of laugh anyway because people talk about a 310 or 315 fps bow as "slow"?????

My father always used to say, "Believe a fraction of what you hear or are told and rely on what you see with your own eyes"....

I don't want to seem like a pesimist, but I got to believe that the DEC is going to error on the side of making natural reproduction rates seem to be as high as possible.

I am not a statistician, but in order to prove a 98 or 99% clip rate of fish in the pen, you would have to handle a lot of fish to make your finding statistically significant... Does that really happen? Doesn't seem like that would be a godd idea...

I think the point that everyone on this site agrees with is that we don't want to see reductions in stocking rates anytime in the near future....

interesting.. thx for sharing

What do you attribute the size to? Is it golbies?

not sure how you could have hit bottom with the dipsy out 300 on a #3 setting in 165 feet... you would need a lot more than 300 feet out..