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Post by swetz on Dec 2, 2019 12:44:04 GMT -5
I have muddy pro sticks, hawk helium sticks, and a seat from a climbing tree stand that I use as a climbing platform.
I don't like the muddy pros and retired my set this year. Too much play in the stand offs and doesn't feel very stable or safe.
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Post by swetz on Nov 30, 2019 16:04:55 GMT -5
Sorry for your loss.
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Post by swetz on Nov 29, 2019 20:15:04 GMT -5
I saddle hunt. Well, the few days a year that I get out there at least.
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Post by swetz on Nov 28, 2019 11:12:00 GMT -5
No turkey for me and mine. Haven't for several years now
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Post by swetz on Nov 24, 2019 21:47:00 GMT -5
Wow. You guys have a lot better construction skills than I do. I wouldn't go more than 5 feet off the ground in anything I built.
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Post by swetz on Nov 15, 2019 21:20:14 GMT -5
Sounds like you're close enough to him to have a frank conversation with him. If I wounded 1 and didn't recover it, I'd be upset. After 2, I would bench myself for the season.
If he wants to talk to you about it, which it sounds like he does, let him have it.
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Post by swetz on Nov 13, 2019 22:44:17 GMT -5
Is that the John Deere place off 37/69 that puts all the lights up for Christmas on the tractors? Yeah, that's the one.
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Post by swetz on Nov 12, 2019 21:30:20 GMT -5
That sucks. I suppose there probably isn't much that can be done without a legally binding agreement though.
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Post by swetz on Nov 12, 2019 18:20:01 GMT -5
Well I know some people that quit hunting because of the lack of deer to hunt. I know some of you will say BS on this but it is true. I am a die hard bow hunter and I can attest that I have put in 108 hrs on stand this year and have not yet seen a mature buck let alone many deer But this really is no different than any other year. I have thought many times to just throw in the towel and quit hunting but I just love to be in the woods enjoying nature. I don't mean to complain but I know some of you guys on here see more deer on one sit than I do all season. I have been hunting for 36 years and rarely ever see mature deer and I hunt multiple spots. I rarely if ever see any rut activity or chasing it is just plain ridiculous. I consider myself a good hunter and try and do all the right things but the deer are just not there. My biggest deer is probably 135 inches and no I do not shoot the first buck I see either. Sorry for the rant but I am just discouraged about the deer sightings for years now. What part of the state? Public or private ground?
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Post by swetz on Nov 12, 2019 17:24:00 GMT -5
Here's an article from Outdoor Life on that very subject... www.outdoorlife.com/why-we-are-losing-hunters-and-how-to-fix-it/The most telling statistic is simple math. In 1982 we had a population of 232 million people and 17 million were hunters. In 2016 we had a population of 323 million people and 11.5 million were hunters. More people, less hunters. And those who remain are older, white men who are aging out. That's a pretty interesting article. It raises a lot of good points, but I'm cynical and skeptical about expanding the number of hunters drastically. All the things they said make sense, but it's tough to access ground. Especially in a state like Indiana where there is very little public ground relatively speaking when compared to a lot of western states. Simply put, where would all these new hunters even go?
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Post by swetz on Nov 11, 2019 23:45:04 GMT -5
Sorry for your loss. We had to put our old girl down a couple months ago and it's tough.
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Post by swetz on Nov 3, 2019 14:02:33 GMT -5
I'd spend a good amount of time reading the regulations here as they can be complicated. For instance, you mention quartering the deer. However, the hunting guide for this year says "The deer head must remain attached to the carcass until the deer is registered with CheckIN Game and a confirmation number is issued." Here's a link: www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2343.htmYes, but we can do that by cell phone, Get the confirmation number and then quarter and pack it out. Agreed. However, you need to know to do that, have cell service, etc. Just want to make sure they aren't surprised.
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Post by swetz on Nov 3, 2019 13:41:28 GMT -5
I'd spend a good amount of time reading the regulations here as they can be complicated. For instance, you mention quartering the deer. However, the hunting guide for this year says "The deer head must remain attached to the carcass until the deer is registered with CheckIN Game and a confirmation number is issued." Here's a link: www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/2343.htm
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Post by swetz on Nov 2, 2019 20:53:32 GMT -5
You guys are really destroying my optimism about the future of humanity. You're welcome...
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Post by swetz on Oct 30, 2019 11:41:06 GMT -5
So I've been debating about whether or not I should get into this, I like knowing what I'm getting myself into before I go and start throwing money at yet another hunting item. After some digging into this I still have a few questions. How much are you guys spending on your setups? I've been having some trouble finding stuff that is budget friendly. Would a quality rock climbing harness work just as well as some of the hunting harnesses I've seen? Comfort aside, from a functionality stand point, would it work? Commerical saddles are usually around $225 or so. I think Trophyline just started selling a $175 or so saddle. Often this doesn't include everything you would need (e.g. tether and line man's belt). The rock climbing harness isn't very comfortable to hang on for an extended period of time because the straps cut into your legs. Also, you probably wouldn't be able to pivot for shots as well, hanging from the loop in the harness rather than a bridge. For a long time the go to DIY saddle method was to use what is called a sit drag, which is NOT rated or designed to be used off the ground, backed up with a rock climbing harness. Here is an old YouTube video that covers this kind of setup. youtu.be/z_OVhk7U2JYYou will also need a climbing method. Sticks are the most common and maybe you already have them depending on how you hunt now. Most people also use a platform or ring of steps. Now, the most important thing before you start trying anything is safety. Saddle hunting has a steep learning curve. The types of rope and cord you use, how knots are tied, and how you climb is the difference between a good hunt and dying from a fall. A couple people in the saddle hunting sphere recently had some nasty accidents. Fortunately, no one has died yet, but they easily could have. I don't want to discourage you, but I wanted to make sure you take appropriate precautions. If you want to explore further, check out the saddle hunting forum and read everything you can.
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Post by swetz on Oct 26, 2019 15:58:11 GMT -5
Maybe next year. I had a decent open area on my place that the forest has reclaimed a lot over the past couple years. Hoping to get things together and spend a few days in the post season with the chainsaw clearing it back up.
It's pretty much right in the center of the place and some good mast bearing trees would be a good draw from all directions.
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Post by swetz on Oct 21, 2019 19:57:56 GMT -5
I'm from PA. My father will probably stop deer hunting there if I had to bet. Some years he comes out here if he's willing to spring for the non-resident license.
I think CWD will get to Indiana eventually. It may already be here, but just hasn't been detected yet. Too many nearby states have it, so I don't see how it could be kept at bay forever.
I'm not really sure what that will mean for deer hunting long term. I've seen several people say they'll stop hunting and others that said surely plenty of people have already eaten meat from infected animals and nothing happened.
Personally, it would probably depend on how quickly you can get test results and what portion of the deer herd is infected. I could see myself continuing if say 1/10 deer are affected and you can get test results in 24 hours. Field dress, keep cool, wait for results, and either resume butchering or somehow dispose of the carcass. Obviously, there's a lot more details to figure out, like how do you dispose of the carcass when the prions are apparently indestructible.
Now say it's 1/2 deer affected. I don't know that I'd be willing to put in the kind of effort required for a coin flip on whether I can eat the venison.
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Post by swetz on Oct 14, 2019 23:22:37 GMT -5
That is amazing.
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Post by swetz on Oct 12, 2019 19:04:16 GMT -5
The thing about the "war on drugs" that we've been fighting for about eighty years now is, we lost it a long time ago. All we've done is create a very lucrative black market for some drugs by making them illegal. The same pattern has been the result of pretty much every instance where a government has outlawed a substance of any kind, from alcohol to firearms of various types, to pornography. Makes some people feel good that their government is "doing something" to do away with the offending things, but in fact it increases the value of the banned items and creates a black market or increases the profit margin to make it a much more profitable market for those who are willing to supply the demand for the contraband. It simply has not worked. Tremendous amounts of effort, money and blood have been spent and we are the leading market in the world for illegal drug sales. The cost to many innocent people in areas where the turf wars between rivals for the local market take place has been horrible. The market is driven by the potential income, and there will always be people willing to take the chances to rake in the big bucks. Many of us feel the better solution would be to get the government out of the business of regulating such substances when sold to adults, and making it legal for domestic businesses to supply the drugs that are safe enough to use at the cost the legal marketplace would support. That should be a price that would make an American supplier a reasonable profit if his product is of a quality that earns him the customer's dollars, and competition would keep the cost low enough to cut off the illegal suppliers currently making billions and killing each other for market shares. Are we in favor of drug usage? Absolutely not! But anyone who thinks we're winning the war on drugs .....has to be smoking something really weird. It has been just another exercise in futility, like Prohibition, the War on Poverty, etc, etc. When we look to the government to help with a social problem, we're looking in the wrong place. We need to educate our kids about the dangers of drugs and the futility of seeking pleasure and satisfaction by putting harmful substances into our bodies, but we should realize that asking the government to take care of our problem is very much like going to the local supplier for something to make us feel better, even when we know it's not going to work for long and will cost us a lot more eventually. We seem to be hooked on the promises of a government solution, and the politicians are supplying us with more promises every election cycle. What we need is to wean ourselves off the governmental "medicine". You've summed it up nicely. There isn't really much I can add that wouldn't just be rehashing what you've already said.
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Post by swetz on Oct 8, 2019 21:01:19 GMT -5
Welcome.
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