My first rifle was an H&R single shot .243. It is still my favorite gun. When I have a child, this will be the gun I hand down to them. Killed my first 4 deer with it.

Go to the homepage- after you have logged in... submit your photos in the photo contest area (scroll down its on the right) you will see 4 photos of individuals who have recently uploaded photos. above that it says submit your photos. The rest is a walk through! GL!

There are a lot of choices to consider here and since I live in PA and started off with a very successful weapon I will recommend it here. The H&R .243 single shot rifle. It is a relatively short rifle and worked well as a starter rifle for me. It is accurate, can be shot left or right handed, and is easy on the wallet. Saw one in the gun shop last week for $270. Also brings the whole "make your first shot count" lesson into perspective. I still own mine and love to shoot it. Hope this helps.

Well, I learned something worthwhile today! Great post! Now I know what my project will be tomorrow... Staining old antlers! THX!

Apparently Lincoln was not assassinated and decided to rough it in the wilderness! What next?? Kurt Cobain shooting skeet???

I've recently been doing very well on egg sucking leeches/ black wooly buggers through tail ends of current/riffles right before the holes. Pink eggs or red eggs on the leeches. No weight. Stingy fish know when something is not drifting naturally. Cast farther up the riffle to drop your flies to the depth you prefer.

PA TROUT STREAMS...Late winter - Early Spring...Rooster tails hammer the big browns. I've had the most success with black, white, and gray. Toss it downstream against the current and jig up and down getting the spinner to rise and fall. Reel erratically fast then slow, continuing to jig. Fishing downstream is more difficult because the fish are facing you as you work the stream. Sneak as much as you can and make casts long. Hit the holes at the base of a riffle.

run your hook all the way through an outer edge of the egg. Turn it so the hook is basically completely exposed except for the shaft being hidden by the edge of the egg. Drift fish it in fast waters where trout or steelhead have only a second to decide whether or not to eat it. Chances are they will! Those eggs look natural enough!

This is really a personal preference. It depends on what you will be using it for. If it is primarily a dove gun...I would suggest the 20 gauge. I personally like to feel my shoulder after 5 boxes of rounds. You already have a really nice 12 gauge. That 870 will last you forever if you treat it right. Why not go with the 20 ga. and enjoy new options like a day afield for dove or grouse.

The 870 in 20 ga. was my dads first shotgun that he handed down to me. Was a great starter gun! I have never had a problem with it and still use it on upland birds. I am also an owner of a 12 ga. Mossberg 500 Ducks Unlimited Edition. I use this gun for turkey and occasionally grouse. Both are great guns and both serve a purpose in my collection.

Yes you should! I like a challenge and it can benefit many novice and experienced individuals on this site. Continue!

very carefully! haha! The real question should be how the heck can i get that tiny fly on my line. I use ultra light tippet (2lb) and tie them in tandem of 3. use a dab of "gink" on each to give them a bit of extra float power! I fish them in small holes on native streams. Be prepared to catch both large and very very small fish. Have fun!

In my town, cruising with the tailgate down is the preferred method of display as well as an open invitation to "get your butt over to my house and help, or celebrate!!!!"

Try getting together 3 or 4 archery hunters together and circle small sections field and brush. Close the circle in making sure to hit each and every hiding place a bunny can find. When you jump one, let your buddies know one is headed towards them. It gives them a chance to draw their bow and take a shot at a flushed rabbit. I have a great time with this. I suggest starting about 100 yards from each other and each work your way to a central point. Good luck!

http://www.coxville.com/town/household/allen/tackle_shelf/homemade_lures.htm Here's a website. I used to paint my own lures, you can buy lure blanks off of the internet, paint them your desired colors. It's nice to be able to catch a fish on one of your own designs.

Politely ask him to!

slow cook em in onion soup!

Budweiser and Deer Bologna! Good morning to YOU!

very small hook with ultra light line. Keeps him afloat for some great top water action! Do this with Grasshoppers too!

I am also a huge fan of the Rapala 7" It stays very sharp and glides through panfish and trout. It also cleans a nice walleye or smallmouth bass. Happy fishing!

Pedestal mount. Makes your buck look like it owns the living room. It is a nice way to display a strong, large, mature buck. Not suggested for an immature animal.

Buy yourself a FoxPro! You can absolutely not beat these awesome calls!

AGREED BIG O 10x42's the "all around" binocular!

They work very well, too! I've had crows scouting a field that were calling to each other. Each time they squawked 2 big toms would gobble their heads off! It is actually a fairly easy call to make with your throat. Try it sometime before you buy a call. Crows make all kinds of weird raspy sounds. If you can get it to sound fairly close, chances are that big tom will gobble at it. (if he's gobbling at all)

A little squirrel pot pie goes a long way. Parboil the meat off the bone. Here's a recipe! http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/game/1.html

Is this one that is pulled straight by a bungee, or sideways circle? On the sideways circle peep, I once had trouble because the wax thread keeping it tight on bottom and top of the string slid up because it was not tied correctly. It still looked like it was tied but loosened the hold on the peep. Dunno if this will help you but it can be nice to check...

Traditions Firearms makes both an inline kit and a flintlock kit that gives you everything you need except for powder to start muzzleloader hunting. It's called the Redi-Kit and you can find both styles of rifle- the flintlock for around 270 bucks at Cabelas or the inline for 200 bucks. Even cheaper than your 300-400 dollar range. And believe me, they shoot great! My family has killed some deer with them!

In Pennsylvania, we have what one would consider an answer to the controversy. The game commission came up with an inline muzzleloader season- does only- October 17-24. After Christmas...we have a flintlock only! second season. It runs from December 26th through January 9th. Percussion is not allowed in this second season. It has to be a flintlock. The percussion styles fall into the inline season. I fell in love with flintlock season and always save a tag for it. Flintlocks,long bows, and recurves are what I consider to be primitive weapons.

I hammer the smallmouth on a single tail dark colored grub on a jig head. Different weights of jig heads for different water speeds. Cast them upstream and jig them down through the current. Seem to have better luck around rocks with faster current.

Del- either Rage is paying you a large some of money to continue these talks or you, my friend, are a "Rage"oholic! By the way I also shoot the Rage! Wonderful technology!

I happen to think that a modified choke in a grouse hunting scenario is best. Keep in mind I am hunting Ruffed Grouse in PA. Rarely can you take a shot beyond 35 yards on a flushed grouse. Team that up with the fact that most of the grouse I hunt and encounter are in thick woodlots with loads of brush, and pines. Speed and target acquisition are key in putting the bird to the ground. Many of the birds I have taken are within 25 yards. A full choke in a 25 yards or less situation will tear up the bird. I prefer modified with 6's or 7's

Yes indeed the Jeep is where its at~!

You bought the exact model I hunt with! I've put thousands of rounds through it! It's tough, reliable, and I've never had an issue. Not to mention I have killed lots of birds with it! Worth every penny you paid and more!!!

Look to be seeing the Hoyt TurboHawk- apparently to be faster and lighter than the Superhawk or Powerhawk. ((320 FPS and 3.75 Pounds)) Here is a link to a picture I could find about this model. Not much information but at least its a looker! http://www.archeryblog.it/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/turbohawk21.jpg

Hopefully your acreage is not surrounded by skyscrapers- odds are it isn't. I've hunted a 10 acre tract where I counted 30 plus deer a night. They move through the neighbors adjoining yards and horse pastures to get to a small corn field to feed. It is nice to hunt small private lots. You don't have to walk far! If the deer are using them...you should be too!

Even the Bronco II's were pretty sweet. We had 2 and used to take them up old trails in the mountains. Mine went through the same stuff the jeepers would hit. Only had trouble with the clutch losing fluid.

If you are having trouble updating your profile picture..don't worry. after you submit your new profile picture(under "edit profile" on your profile page) It takes a few days for it to process through but it will change. Mine took 2 days. Good luck! Hope this helps.

That is a nice buck! He deserves it and more for his service! Thanks for sharing.

Caught a 10 pound Steelhead (see my photo)! Had 20 other hookups, landed 2 others. Great times! My buddy I took also caught his first steelie! Now he is caught up on the addiction!

That is excellent. What do the small black dots along the line represent. It seems that some are closer and some are farther away. I've been thinking about getting a GPS. Haven't really gotten out of my element yet though. I'll probably get one when I start hunting out of state on public lands.

Birds gotta eat too!!!

While hitting a woodland paintball course about 4 years ago. I noticed movement in the brush. I noticed it was low and brown and looked as if it was hunching its back. I slowly inched in for a better look to see what creature was so large and low to the ground. It turned out to be a large stump...with a giant snapping turtle emerging from the center. Apparently I had stumbled on Ol 'Snappy's hibernation quarters. He was waking up for the spring!

One word...."SCOUT"

How about using a blade of grass or small rounded leaves from a shrub between your thumbs "pulled tight" blow short... the sound is like a doe or fawn bleat. You could also do a rattling bag with pieces of dowel rods and wooden toy blocks in some sort of small cloth bag. Those lego blocks in a cloth bag sound like rattling as well.

Bear has a full set up with the 2009 lights out model. you get a bow ready to shoot for 450.00. All you need to do is buy arrows!

I felt like Brody on Jaws! "Smile you son of a *BOOM*!"

If you disagree with this technology then you must also disagree with scouting cameras. I feel that this is the next step in scouting cameras. Why go into the woods and check your cameras when you can stay out of your hunting area and check them without compromising your spot. Not to mention...those individuals who have had your scouting cameras stolen... This will keep theiving persons thinking twice. You would have a photo of them stealing your stuff right on your cell phone or computer.

Yeah, the old fixed muzzys and thunderheads do the trick. But if technology finds a way to make my bow kill faster/more efficient...I'm all in. The proof is out there. Better penetration, wider wounds, and that pic basically says it all!!! I've been shooting mechanicals since I started bow hunting. I have never had a deer go farther than 50 yards. I bought the rage hoping they only go 30!

I honestly like sifting through the smoke cloud to see a deer slowly materialize unharmed!!!

Backing is important if you plan on hooking fish that run a long distance (like steelhead). If you are fishing for smaller trout, panfish, etc. Backing is unnecessary. Look into getting yourself a tapered leader to use on your fly line as well. Tie tippet on as necessary to the end of the leader. Most tapered leaders thin out to a specific tippet size. That tippet will slowly shorten as you lose flies, break off, or just cut it from changing flies. As it shortens, add the tippet that came in your kit. As for equipment... you have a rod,reel, line, leader, tippet- all you need now are flies. Make sure you use fly patterns that are native to your area. This will ensure you catch more fish. Practice makes perfect. I started with a kit as well. Practice making your casts and soon you will be as hooked as the rest of us who enjoy fly fishing! Good luck and happy fishing!

Didn't take long for him to come in!

when you set on target. breath normally. watch your crosshairs rise and fall above and below your target. Do not try to compensate as you breath. Study your crosshairs rising and falling above and below the target. make adjustments to allow the crosshairs to settle center mass on the point of complete exhale. Once again study the rise and fall. when that pause between exhale and inhale naturally occurs and you are center mass...fire a round. Practice this. There is more to shooting than just breathing- but understanding shooting and breathing go hand in hand. those who hold their breath become unsteady.

Pie Head! Though after reading this post I'm leaning towards split-tail!

I vote with micropterus... that would be interesting! But if you like mechanicals- I use the RAGE 3 blade mechanicals. The coolest thing about them besides rear deployments, larger entry wounds, and deeper penetration, is that with every package you get a blue practice broadhead. This is nice because you aren't dulling blades as you shoot your broadheads in. It looks the same and flies the same but does not deploy on impact. Just sticks in like a field tip.

Apparently you are in the market for bows seeing that you have 2 posts regarding 3 different types. May I suggest looking into Bear Archery. Last year I bought a Lights Out Fred Bear for around 450 bucks brand new, fully loaded- whisker biscuit, lock on quiver, glow sights, stabilizer/dampener, and peep. It was a great deal! and the bow shoots like 315 FPS at 70 pounds 30 inches axle to axle this bow is sweet. Check it out. You will be impressed!

Skeeb, whereabouts in PA? I also hunt the 'yote in PA. I have had the best luck in open areas surrounded by woods. I hunt them at night. Seem to get a better response. Use a red light and scan my surroundings every 5 minutes. I call frequently and use no decoy. the best red light I use is a regular spotlight with a red lens cover that you can buy. Those gun mounted lights are ok but don't have the distance that the spotlight has. Also... take a friend! He can hold the spotlight!

Muzzle Velocity: 1235 Muzzle Energy: 135 ft. lbs. Hope this helps!

save some money.... build a ladder stand of wood-basically a ladder with platform attached. I use 3 quarter inch lug bolts to attach my ladder to my platform. Use 2 by 6's for the deck joyces. Extend them well beyond the length of the platform. this allows you to slip the stand up to the tree with both joyces extending beyond the tree. drill a hole on both sides of the extended joyces and use ALL THREAD and some washers and nuts to clamp the stand to the tree. when this is completed- just attach whatever platform wood you will be using to the joyces. Now you have a fixed ladder stand you can use for years that did no harm to the tree.

Is yours the "Get your lazy butt out of bed and keep the wood stove going!" ???

The deer and rabbit picture is great! Wonder if they shared or the deer stayed away?

Check your acorns very carefully for tiny holes. Others who tried this to no avail could have possibly had some infested seeds. I am a Pre-K teacher and my students and I went to the woods and collected acorns from the ground. We then went inside to break them open to explore what was inside. To our surprise 9 out of 10 of the acorns had very tiny worms inside that were in the process of eating the "fruit".

The woodland or army digital camo works extremely well. I use my army ACU's and they do wonders in a tree stand. The light color blends nicely with the sky.

I use active scrape in the dripper above scrapes that I find around my stand. The heat of the sun expands the dripper and continuously freshens the existing scrape during the day. It will make the deer whose territory has been "invaded" check the scrape more often in the day giving you a better chance of seeing the buck who made the original scrape.

They eat Beeswax... thus the name "wax" worms.

NO BURN.. FRY ER UP!

Truly a personal preference! If you want best bang for your buck- go with a Fred Bear Lights out! 450 bucks fully loaded 30 inches axle to axle over 300 fps and shoots like a dream!

I personally like the shrink on loop- if you're line is dark like mine- the yellow shrink acts as a nice indicator without the use of a "bobber" type indicator when fishing wets.

I had a carbon arrow snap the other day as I shot it through the biscuit. Still can't figure out what happened but it makes me weary.

I've never used the tapes or electronic calls but I have had success with Predator Sniper "Death Cry" reed calls. they have an aluminum body that gives you a better/louder sound to get those coyotes from a distance. When they start getting close i use "woods wise screaming mini three"! That kit is nice you get three calls for 15 bucks. They sound great! I ordered both these kits from Cabelas and am pleased with both.

I prefer an improved modified! I agree with Del... Longer shots would better fare with a full.

HA HA! nice!

Wow, A threat on your life over this! This is insane!

I received a green LED light that wraps around your ear as a present last year. I used it the first time as I walked out to where I was placing my climber. It was pitch black and the green light gives you a great view. It looks like night vision. The coolest thing was that where I wanted to put my stand must have became the bedding area of about 8 deer. When I got to the tree I looked up and scanned the surroundings. All of the deer were within 15 yards and never minded me being there. I could see their eyes looking at me bright as day and their heads would turn and look away as if nothing was bothering them. I climbed the tree- secured my harness turned off my light and waited till light. They all got out of their beds 15 yards away and milled around as if nothing bothered their sleep. I swear by green lights especially the led one that wraps on my head. The deer were not spooked. Green is the way to go!

In regards to a previous post that someone made about primitive weapons season.... I believe this to be one of the most primitive! Kill a deer with this...that is something special!!!

You said it, idaho!

Tough rust- Put oil where the gun is rusted- use steel wool and gently rub it away. Don't push hard and keep it lubed.

Pennsylvania offers a great variety of trout streams. Spruce Creek is Nationally known. Recent management (antler restrictions) has been yielding bigger bucks with potentials 150 BC plus. PA also offers awesome public steelhead fishing in Erie- that season is just around the corner. Word is that the steelhead are staging at this moment waiting for the tribs to cool off before they make their run. I live in Central PA and can be on a great public hunting land or awesome trout streams in as little as 5 minutes.

Most dove hunters are hunting fields in flat areas or large valleys. Hit the wooded lots or mountain ranges on the outskirts of these fields to see deer bedded down safely. Deer will move later in the evening and earlier in the morning to continue to feed in the fields. If the pressure is too high- check hardwoods with a lot of acorns/nuts. expect most deer to be moving evening/night/morning.

That is so perfectly straight you could put that back on your bow and shoot it again- both still stuck together!

With as many people that are on this forum- the amount of experience between us could write an 1000 page novel on the outdoors. Got questions- ask the individuals on this site. I bet you'd learn a lot more than you expected.

First buck- Dad was there- It came with 5 does...When I shot, He though I had missed. I believed him and we sat there for the 2 longest hours of my life. Finally we got up and went to the area where I shot. I found hair! I said and turned around to see the biggest blood trail of my life. The deer ran 30 yards and crashed into the mountain laurel. My dad and I hugged and jumped and yelled in the woods. My first buck was the best buck ever- even if it was only a 4 point.

If its a pup- take a fresh rabbit hide- from a FRESH road kill if possible and if not buy the "rabbit scent" bottle and rub some into an old rabbit hide. I started my pup as soon as I got him- instead of buying toys and such for a beagle pup i used one toy and one toy only... the rabbit hide. Play a game where you make it run behind your body and then hide it under one of your feet. This is a good way to get him to use his nose to detect the rabbit scent and get him accustomed to what he needs to be chasing. As he gets older start taking him in the field and tie a string on the rabbit hide and run large circles around to get him to follow. Play scent trails and hide the rabbit in places where he cant see it. Reward him when he finds the rabbit. As he gets older yet- live trap rabbits- lay a scent line with them and place them under large piles of brush where when laid down they will not run right away. let the dog jump the rabbit and soon instinct will take over. This method worked for me very well! REMEMBER- the more time you spend with your dog in the field playing games and training. The better your dog will be in the end. I also believe the earlier that you start a dog (like with the rabbit skin toys) the better the dog. Good luck and have fun. Training a dog is one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences a person can have.

Buck Jam- acorn or apple scent. It is a heck of a lot cheaper and works just as well. Pour on stump and enjoy!