Like a champ!

My rule of thumb is to be IN the stand, set up and quiet 30 minutes before morning twilight. This gives the woods time to "calm" before shooting light.

Duck.

Plenty of them!

Depends on your definitions of "ready" and "hunting". My five year old son is showing interest. I want to capture that interest and get him on board, but I know his attention span isn't there and his expectations are out of line. So I will probably take him out "viewing" soon just to give him a taste of the sport. But the goal will be to hike through the woods and sit on a deer stand and have a snack. Make it a lot of fun and build up from there.

Zebco 33

I'm with MLH. One won't do it.

I'd lean St. Croix, probably because I have two of their flyrods and have not been disappointed.

Berkley Series One baitcaster.

Definitely just the time in the woods. Away from email, no phone, no mobile messaging. Where the biggest source of anxiety is the squirrel in the next tree making more noise than a fleet of jet aircraft.

Edward is right. It's all based on the people with whom you hunt. The most important piece of hunting safety equipment resides just behind your eyeballs.

Synthetic. I'm a function over form guy, so I appreciate the utility of synthetic vs. wood that would have me worrying every time I bumped into something. Ironic you should ask because my one "pretty gun" is an SKB over & under and I got paranoid about oil getting into the wood yesterday and went down and wiped it off again. :)

Free beer.

who you callin a defect? :)

I vote jon-boat. You give up a little bit in portability for sheer utility.

My location and condition. Get that established in case the connection fails.

Three years. Learned from good friends and a lot of reading.

Getting outside, away from work and computers. Slow down and watch the world for a little while.

The butane cell matches up just about perfect with three of the repellent mats for me.

Ruger 10/22.

Announce myself from cover & concealment. Instruct him to lie face down on the floor immediately. Any action to the contrary and he gets every round in the gun.

Jerky & seeds

Too late.

Fried tenderloin

Trout!!!!

Rooster tail, rainbow trout.

Wish I had your problem! Mine is the reverse. I find the rainbows to be suckers for Rapala Countdowns, inline spinners like Mepps, powerbait eggs, corn, and even a Rogue.

Depending on the manufacturer, you may have a lifetime no-questions warranty that provides replacement.

Doritos are good. Cheetos are better. Jalapeno cheetos are the current king of my gut.

Ruger 10/22. Still in my safe today!

El Nuge. He's right on about hunting and then some.

One that fits him and that he can safely operate.

Release for consistency.

Depends on species and regulations, but generally release.

Yes.

My favorite is a flint/striker with cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly.

Remington 870HD with #8 shot.

I've never regretted buying my T/C Omega Z5.

I'm very happy with my Thompson/Center Omega Z5 and the price was right.

1. Ted Nugent 2. Whitetail doe 3. Don't remember, but pretty sure a Daisy.

.308

Gerber fast draw.

I've had a few and am happiest with the Leupold RX-III that I use now.

No, the tree should be fine. :) (But the arrow is history)

Diamond

Both, but Cabelas is my preference since their house brand stuff doesn't always seem like cheap Chinese crap.

Bass Pro.

Diamond Rapture

I love my Leupold RX-III

Not in Missouri, but yes with the warranty.

Send it to me! I'll help you "store" it! :)

I'm more of a belly boat guy. I got the Cabelas U-boat model on sale and have not been disappointed.

Rage 3-blade. Because Lee & Tiffany do. :)

I've done it several times while practicing, but never on purpose. :)

Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/ned564

I appreciate that Missouri allows me additional hunting time and more opportunity to take a buck by using a muzzleloader. The jury is still out on whether or not today's modern in-line muzzleloading rifles (although legal in MO) adhere to the spirit of primitive methods.

No, but we don't have many bears in MO. I have, however, heard about folks leaving "indecent" images by posing in front of trail cams.

Absolutely love this reel.

Rapala CD-7 Countdown in Gold

My number one choice is a Rapala CD-7 Countdown Minnow in gold/black. Follow that up with an inline spinner like a Mepps/Blue Fox and you'll be all set.

Another vote for Rem 870 here. Go Super Mag and you're set.

Something that imitates a wounded minnow. I'd start with the Rapala Countdown.

You're better off soaking cotton balls in vaseline and using that as tinder.

I would lean toward a .338

I've got a Beretta 390 that used to give me fits putting it back together. Now that I figured out the "duh factor" where I was screwing up, I love it.

I just saw a Cricket at Wal-Mart yesterday for $107. It's bolt-action single shot but will get the job done if you really want to save dollars. Otherwise, I've always been happy with my Ruger 10/22.

What if they get mad and come after you? :)

Polypropylene is the magic stuff. Always three layers: 1. Wicking 2. Insulating 3. Shell for wind/water

I have had the Hornady LnL kit for about six months now and absolutely love it. While the collets for the press are a little bit of a cost, the ability to leave my dies adjusted and easily swap them in and out of the press is amazing. I have an RCBS single stage also and it's a decent press, but doesn't match the Hornady for overall design and the Lock & Load ability. Hornady doesn't do enough to promote how much this will help your reloading, IMHO.

Trout and crappie are tied for first for me.

I'm an advocate of the Primos Can too.

Depends on what I'm doing. I'm lucky to have both near me. I agree with Ethan that Cabelas is better "all around" and provides much more in the way of hunting. I have noticed that Cabela's house branded merchandise tends to be much higher quality than that for Bass Pro.

None here yet. Good sight!

Leupold

70 yards

On a 300 acre lease.

I'm extremely happy with my Ruger Mk III with the 5.5" bull barrel.

Taking my first deer last fall.

See if you can find a copy of the Sports Illustrated guide to Fly Fishing by Bill Mason. That's the book that got me started and I've never looked back!

Buy this book. Read it twice. Then make her read it. :) http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Hunting-Guides/dp/1596985216

Something called "atavistic response." The same reason a cat chases a piece of yarn drug across the floor. Almost reflexive.

Broken record time: .30-06 .308 but then probably a .243

Not yet, but I'll go for my first time this year. Hoping it goes well!

Another vote for Rem 870 here. Go Super Mag and you're set.

Mechanical.

At 100 points an answer, you'll probably get quite a few.

13 with one more on the way.

I absolutely agree with downsizing the bait. I'm very partial to the Kalin's Tennessee Shad soft bait on a Roadrunner horsehead style jig. Also critical is paying very close attention to the depth you're fishing. Crappie will stratify and often when you catch one at a depth, you'll find a whole pile of them at that layer.

Remington 700

.30-06

One small doe last season.

Coke Zero. Better living through chemistry.

Both, but mostly stands.

Yep.

Whitetail doe.

I have been fly fishing for about 12 years and have run the gamut from affordable gear (the Martin combo from kmart gave me the rod, reel, line, leader, tippet, and 12 flies for $39) all the way up to a Winston rod with an Abel reel. I have to say I am impressed with the new combo packages being offered by Scientific Anglers. They are packaged by species, so you can select trout, bass, etc. and get the rod, reel, line, etc. plus species-specific flies AND an introductory DVD for very close to the price you are asking. I am seriously considering buying one of these outfits for my son. He's only 5 years old right now, but it will be ready when he is.

M242 Bushmaster chain gun, 25mm with incendiary rounds.

Dinner. Yummy.

In the case of .30-06, it means the cartridge was adopted in 1906.

Plan to go shopping for new shorts tomorrow, if I survive.

I would change my socks, because I have invariably soiled them.

Most fly shops are actually excited to teach a newbie. I went into my first flyshop with great fear that they were going to try and sell me a bill of goods and stuff I didn't need. I went into Feather-Craft in St. Louis and the guy who helped me wouldn't even LET me buy the expensive stuff. Kept me with affordable gear and even took me out fishing.

Agreed that 2-7 should be good. 3-9x is also viable, but maybe a little much. Save the money you would spend on magnification and upsize the objective to 50mm and the tube to 30mm and you'll be lethal!

Witchcraft and marketing!

Cell phone is least often listed but the shortest route to recovery if you can get a signal.

Self sufficiency.

Fluorocarbon has a refractive index much closer to water and is touted as being less visible to the fish.

I like it.

Gorilla Silverback climber. Cheap. Works.

0

1

Zero. SO FAR! :)

HUGE congrats! Still in search of my first!

Crankin!

No problem with cased or loaded here in MO. I agree with leaving it unloaded, but the case restriction is baffling.

Remington 870 Express Super Magnum Synthetic

Remington 700 Remington 870

From http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2001/07/10.htm In skeet, shooters fire from eight different stations positioned around a half-circle. The targets cross in front of the shooters from either side of the front of the half-circle. On some stations, shooters fire at one target flying from the left, and another flying from the right. On other stations, they have to shoot at two targets that fly from both directions at the same time. Trap shooters stand at one of five stations located on a much narrower arc behind a single hidden thrower. From there they fire at targets that zip away at unpredictable angles.

I'm suspicious. Even if it's certified, it looks like the "Two ounce rule" is going to keep it out. More controversy in the world of bass records.

I would definitely go online for the manuals to make sure that first, you have all the parts and second, it's put together properly. They can be ingenious little bits of engineering, which makes them sometimes less than obvious to assemble safely. I was surprised with my first ladder stand that it really helps to have a second person hold the base of the ladder in place when you go to raise it because they are so very top heavy. Above all else, after you get it up, still use a safety strap on yourself. The things that can happen are called accidents because we don't think they'll happen. Gravity kills.

Be up front and honest with the captain and the mate. Let them know you're really excited, but need to learn a lot. If you guys are fishing downriggers, it takes awhile to get used to seeing the rods go UP when a fish hits instead of DOWN so that will help you know when to jump on a rod. Have fun, learn a lot, be careful!

Most often recommended to me by those who do it a lot is the wounded prey calls like fawn or rabbit.

In my case, it wasn't intentional, but last year I shot my first deer. Being inexperienced, I didn't realize that the doe I was shooting was a yearling and at 80 yards, a .30-06 was a little much for the target.

Eakins Jig. Watermelon with a craw trailer. Cut off half the craw abdomen before threading it on and run it around rocks.

Extremely subjective question. I try to "match the hatch" and adjust based on water color. E.g. if crawfish are predominant, I go with a similar color. Murky water gets something added on to draw light like chartreuse or fluorescent colors.

I would tend toward brighter colors in murky water at that depth.

Headshot is most sincere.

I vote for the Duncan Loop (AKA Uni-Knot) wherever appropriate and the Palomar in other situations.

I can't recommend a better source than the man who not only taught me everything I know about filleting trout, but he also taught me everything I know about catching them, cooking them, and a lot of other things that have nothing to do with trout. Take a look at the following step-by-step slideshow, prepared by White River fishing guide and all-around outdoorsman, Jim Brentlinger of Linger's Guide Service in Norfork, Arkansas. http://linger.typepad.com/photos/clean_and_cook_em/

I tried (and still have) the Bushnell Sport 450. But I've found it really can't live up to the 450-yard claim unless it's under ideal conditions. I recently upgraded to the Leupold RX-III and couldn't be happier.

I'm noticing the same trend. I hope something is done to bring it under control so that the point system remains a valuable incentive for folks to participate in the online community.

Killdeer.

Not just a member, but I also designate them as a beneficiary on my workplace United Way campaign.

Wow, I didn't know we worked at the same place! :)

Zero. So far. :D

I have always heard it called noodling. Or grabbling.

Assuming you mean the bore of the barrel, I highly recommend Shooter's Choice.

DPMS LR-308B

Very generally, archery vs. firearm.

I'm like a broken record: Rapala Countdown in gold

Hard to fix a modern rod. Especially a one piece blank. I'd hit up Shimano and see if they have any kind of replacement program. Many rod manufacturers will swap it outright if you cover the shipping, while others will do so for a nominal fee.

About $7 and my heart was aching when I did it. I'm starting to think lure prices are rising faster than ammo prices!

Gorilla Silverback has never failed me and the price is right.

BPS EnduraSkin

Did you ever hear back from them?

Rapala Countdown

No way, dude. Haven't you seen the movies? You'll just aggravate them and they'll vaporize you with their Trog-O-Matic Ionizing Superzapper 65000.

It's interesting, but not sure it will live up to all the promises.

I agree with you, but it's not hard to ignore them.

85 yards.

You just asked for a Remington 870.

I usually just cut & paste them into the post. I use tinyurl when I can to keep it clean.

Too many so far.

Depends on the target/prey.

Depending upon your definition: - M-2 .50 cal machine gun - M242 Bushmaster 25mm chain gun - 4.2" mortar

Coke Zero.

Carbon.

Maybe. Really depends on your application and personal preference. I use one of the knockoffs and it's okay. I'm ready to try a drop away though.

Rage 3 blade here.

Remington

All on the left. Beauty of the standard design.

When I was new to flyfishing, I had the same feeling of confusion. You may enjoy the following article: http://tinyurl.com/ned564

It's all about the instructor. The legislated minimums for the course can be delivered in a dry boring format or be a day of entertaining, practical education. If you're in Missouri, you can't do better than to take a class from police Sergeant Paul Bastean at http://www.mocct.com

Founded at Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1949, Zebco is a major manufacturer of fishing equipment. It began with the invention of backlash-free fishing reel by a Rotan, Texas, watchmaker and itinerant inventor named Jasper R. Dell Hull, who was better known as R. D. Hull. After struggling to find a company to manufacture and to market his invention, Hull finally approached the Zero Hour Bomb Company of Tulsa for assistance. The Zero Hour Bomb Company, which had been in business since 1932 manufacturing electric time bombs used in fracturing oil-well formations, was experiencing the difficulties common to a single-product company in a shrinking market. They partnered with Hull and produced their first reel, called the Standard, in May 1949. Soon afterward, through regional marketing under the name Zebco the product became so popular that in January 1956 the company changed its name to Zebco and ceased to produce oil-field related materials. Through the introduction of a series of new models featuring high quality at reasonable prices the company continued to expand until 1961, when they merged with the Brunswick Corporation. Afterward, they acquired several smaller firms, expanded their national presence, and became involved in international marketing of their growing line of fishing equipment. Hull remained with the firm's production department, where he designed twenty-six reels and received thirty-five patents prior to his May 1977 retirement soon followed by his death in December of that same year. In 2001 the W. C. Bradley Company bought Zebco from Brunswick, but in the early years of the twenty-first century the headquarters of the nation's best-known fishing gear manufacturer remained in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Structure, primarily timber and sunken brush.

Absolutely.

Definitely a repellent of more than mosquitoes. Avon skin-so-soft or the thermacell is a better choice for me.

Spelled "crappie", pronounced "croppy"

A brassiere.

Go for the headshot. It's more sincere.

Go on the NRA website and look for the Basic Firearms classes. There will be an instructor in your area that will get you up to speed very quickly.

A good gun. Definitely among the top 3 for .22 autoloaders. However, I've had great luck with my Ruger MkIII for the same stuff.

You will have to wait, but if you hit rguns.net you can get a good DPMS.

Enjoy: http://www.targetz.com/targets01.htm

Corn. Where legal. :)

Given that mix, I'm going to vote for a Remington 870 with both a shotgun and a slug barrel.

I tend to agree on this one. If I start using male enhancement products while I'm at deer camp, it's going to be brutal. My buddies will string me up next to the deer.

Fluorocarbon has a refractive index much closer to water and is touted as being less visible to the fish.

I like Berkley rods a lot. Lightning Rods have served me well for the money as a beginner. Move up from there as your skills develop.

I like them. Gives you practice on shot placement. Especially if you don't just take the broadside shot every time. Put the target uphill, downhill, quartering away/toward. Take your shots then go study the path that your arrow would have taken through the animal. Ask yourself if it would have penetrated 0,1,2 lungs. Would you have hit the heart? This will all help you make better, ethical kills.

I keep mine in the cabelas dry boxes with the small "soap bar" dessicant units inside.

Generally they are universal. Especially if the course you took is IHEA recognized.

I set mine to 20, 30, and 40. I'm not comfortable shooting past 40, so I took the fourth pin off. :)

Be my guest if your state regs allow it.

Not as hard as you might think. it can get as complicated as you want, but the fundamentals, SAFELY EXECUTED, are very straightforward.

!!!!

Some people feel better by thinking they know better than everybody else. Actually, isn't that why this "answers" section exists? :) It's all in the approach.

Controversial subject. Everybody represents some form of risk.

It's only worth it if you think so.

I'm a huge Remington fan.

Shotgun in general. Most versatile.

Absolutely. I like to mark my stand positions as accurately as possible, then study them on aerial maps to refine my strategy.

The term "extra" is subjective. But I always carry about 10 rounds.

My lovingly restored 17 foot tournament v.

A fishing license. Definitely.

I got on a private lease, not far from home, for a great price.

Everybody needs a hobby. I have 12.

I'm an advocate of Realtree AP HD

I prefer my O/U.

Bolt fan here.

http://tinyurl.com/lwbpeq

I've heard both rumors. That the factories are running overtime to keep up OR that they're not opening up idle production lines to keep demand high while they increase prices. Rumors will be rumors.

You're making fun of the doe I shot last fall, aren't you? :)

It's true. Although these things are mass produced, there is some final fitting done by hand to get headspace and action dialed in properly. In the Army, we were always told to never swap bolts on M-16's either.

Gerber Big Rock. I've got one. Love the knife, but the included sheath looks like something from a whale fishing expedition.

Practice, practice, practice. Start with the brake set tight and short casts. Build skill and work your way out.

Love it. Great layout. Good information. Updated more frequently than my print edition of F&S.

Love it. Great layout. Good information. Updated more frequently than my print edition of F&S.

Scope

Fine Woodworking

Yes you can, but beware that military/7.62 brass will have less interior case capacity than civilian .308 brass. This is not inconsequential. Using a .308 load in 7.62 brass can raise chamber pressures dangerously. Stick to published loads, start with minimum loads, work up from there and watch for pressure signs.

It's a nebulous comparison to how many drams of black powder the smokeless load is equivalent to. People get a feel for what they like and look for it. They could change it to "Shoulder Whacking Index" and it would be just as meaningful, but nobody would know what that was, so they stick with DR EQ

That's not too crazy for turkey loads. Get up into the premium 3-1/2" 12 gauge loads and you can find $5-6 a round.

Good stuff. Takes awhile to get used to the lack of stretch.

This isn't surprising. This kind of stuff is happening with the wholesalers, too. Their top tier customers get the personal phone call before inventory goes into the system.

Less than $5

yep

Takes time to master the baitcaster, but once you do, it's the most versatile reel I own.

Trespassing is avoided in three ways. 1. Stay off their property 2. ...unless you have permission, or 3. ...call him to you!!!

My Leupold RX-III is as good as I've ever used. Very happy with it.

Unless you are shooting at a very steep angle or there is an extreme height difference between you and your target, the direct distance is sufficient in my opinion.

Remington 700 SPS

Slate.

Adopted by US military in 1906.

Marlin .22

Duck

Scope

Tree stand

The Mason-Dixon line.

Buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Hunting-Guides/dp/1596985216 Read it twice. Then have Dad read it.

.30-06

Carbon.

I prefer drop box, but hinged floorplate is a close second.

I'm partial to Primos. Good company run by a guy I think I'd really like to hunt with.

HS Undertaker (non ported) for me.

I'm still a novice, but finally getting to the point that I can go out without having my hand held. Really looking forward to this fall.

Diamond Rapture. It's a better bow than I am a shooter.

Every gun every time. Darn Army brainwashing.

Fly tying is generally done for the love of tying itself. It takes a LOT of flies tied to recoup the costs of the equipment.

In the Army, I was a 19D Cavalry Scout. CavRecon just kinda stuck.

Wood for me

.30-06 has a slight edge over the .270 in my book for ubiquity of ammo availability and a little more versatility in loadings.

Gorilla Silverback

Really depends on where you hunt and what trees are available. My preference would be a tree stand since you will blend in better with the existing surroundings and less chance for the animals to "notice something new."

870

DPMS LR-308B

Heavey is the man. Another vote here for his book.

Point, don't aim. Unfortunately, it sounds like you're already doing battle with this gun in your mind so it will be very difficult to learn a natural gun mount that will prevent injury.

I've got one and have been happy with it.

All of these will over penetrate in a normal house built with drywall, but given the choices, I'd go with a 45 and a rapidly expanding bullet.

Depends a lot on the caliber, but a little low at 100 will give you the most "point blank range"

Directs some of the gas back and to the side to reduce felt recoil.

My buddy Dan. Doesn't make me angry...he puts in his hours in the woods.

Have always been a WF guy, but really considering DT for the "end swap" bonus.

Materials scarcity and unprecedented demand.

Permanone. I have sawyer's.

Fillet, bread, fried and inside.

Points flowin!

Ammo shortage continues.

Truth.

CCW+

Glock 27 or Ruger LCP

Handloads or Hornady

Handloads or Hornady

Tagged

H-O-T

The cheapest 12 gauge I'm seeing is $20.88 per brick (100 rounds). That works out to roughly 21 cents a round. Pretty close to some of the bulk handgun ammo around.

Whitetail. I'll go with mdhager for elk though. :)

Heavey is pro-hunting/fishing. He just circles around the subject sometimes.

Rapala Countdown in Gold

Rapala Countdown in Gold

Rem 700 SPS in .30-06

Rem 700 SPS in .30-06

Rem 700 SPS in .30-06

I'm extremely happy with my Beretta 390.

It would be my last choice for my firearm. Dirty and unreliable.

Rapala CD-7 Countdown in gold.

Depends on what I'm looking for but Cabelas generally has the best stuff.

Me. :)

My only deer. A small doe last fall. Can't wait till this season!

Michael Waddell & Uncle Ted

It means you have a lot of stars by your name. Various reasons. :)

I generally put it about head high, but the "target area" for the photo will dictate it many times. Sometimes the tree I'm mounting it on offers a different angle due to the curvature of its trunk or I need to clear a branch, etc.

The answer to the first question is 40 yards. The answer to your second question is 20 yards. >vbg<

Elk Hair Caddis, but I bet you could have guessed.

With.

Rapala

Inline here.

Squirrel

http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/calculations/calculations.html

I haven't fallen, but I did have the bottom of my climber drop out from beneath me while I was hunting. The buckle that holds the strap that keeps the top and bottom together had failed. So there I was, sitting on the upper half with my feet dangling and 30 minutes into a morning hunt. It took some creative application of my haul line to snag the bottom and pull it up.

Rem 870 Express Super Magnum

El Nuge.

Primos

TC Omega

Patience, stillness, and tick repellent.

Rifle.

Yep. Because the large animal will run you down and trample the gun.

Cabelas

F&S

Cabelas.

Count my vote for Josey. "I had to come back." Josey: "I know." "Man's gotta make a livin'." Josey: "Dyin' ain't much of a livin'."

Trout.

Rapala for me.

www.gatorboats.com

Only if you let newbies count. :)

Absolutely. Grab a couple of good books or DVD's. Don't get overwhelmed. You can never know it all so just take it one step at a time.

I will let you know after it happens. :)

April 29th is your birthday.

Don't know yet. He/she is still out there! :)

I'm planning to limit out on clay birds. :)

Bad news. Tred always seemed like a great guy with a new perspective.

There are a lot of introductory books on the subject and a pile of videos that can help. But, the best advice is like above and keep it simple. The worst thing to do is overdo it and make it too complicated.

20k

Realtree Roadtrips/Michael Waddell Spirit of the Wild/El Nuge

Nosler.

My very own 100 acres.

Good stuff for the price.

http://linger.typepad.com/photos/clean_and_cook_em

I don't have any guns. Sold them all.

Coke Zero. Better living through chemistry.

Daisy pump.

Pretty much Cabelas.

Print full resolution scans of USGS topo maps at no charge from the USGS website at: http://tinyurl.com/5n6ylr

Water.

Merry Christmas.

Falling barometer for me.

I'm an accuracy and precision freak. To a fault.

Yep. Good stuff.

Rem 870 12 ga.

tednugent.com

You can download USGS topo maps of anywhere in the united states at: http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&layout=6_1_61_50_2&uiarea=2&ctype=areaDetails&carea=0000000009)/.do

You hit it at the end. It's all about the sponsors and multiplying your "media channels." TV shows are one thing, but add books, magazine articles, DVD's, paid appearances, etc. and it adds up.

Stick with something more like a .243

Go .243

I'd go more toward a .243 with an "average sized" 12 year old kid.

Another vote here for the Remington 870.

separate chokes.

One deer. Rem 700 SPS in .30-06. Nameless.

I ended up pulling the floors out and cutting new 3/4" plywood for all the new ones. First, I treated them all several times with Thompson's water seal. Then I used outdoor carpet glue to put the new carpet on the new floor panels.

Ammo shortage is my interpretation of it. Used to be that centerfire handgun was short. Then popular rifle calibers. Then .22LR. Hopefully 12ga holds up!

.22-250. Extra range over the .223 comes in valuable for dogs.

I've got the contoured Caldwell sandbags.

Remington 870 Express Super Magnum Remington 700 SPS .308

I've got the Bass Pro one in Realtree AP and very happy with it.

I've got an SKB 505 that is more gun than I'll ever need and the price was right.

Belly boating in some strip pits about two hours from home, casting Slug-Go's and hooked up on a largemouth bass that was as long as my forearm from elbow to fingertip. The bucketmouth actually was pulling me around in the belly boat!

F&S. I wish they offered lifetime subscriptions.

Here is everything I've ever needed to know about cleaning and cooking trout. http://linger.typepad.com/photos/clean_and_cook_em/

Kubota tractor with a front loader. :)

Gotta love Wikipedia! http://tinyurl.com/ktafc8

I love to tie my own. By far my preference.

The one I bought last, because it's newest. :D

http://tinyurl.com/c42zxj

Absolutely not. Use that space for cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. Will be much much safer, burn longer and works great.

I vote for the flint for dependability, as you can never be sure the matches are going to be good at some time down the road and they're a one-shot deal. Matches are easier to use, but I don't trust them.

I have to cast a vote for the Remington 870 Super Magnum. Maybe because I just bought one for myself, but it's pretty much the "universal gun", IMHO.

Most critical thing is to match the local area. Too many people make the mistake of applying the wrong camo pattern or material and it sticks out. Like the guys above said, the best way to blend in is use stuff from nearby.

I don't think you're limited in a 4 mile long lake. Just about anything is fair game. That being the case, I would go with standard patterns for the time of year and the bass activity.

About a 70 lb doe. But it was my first (and so far only) deer. :)

Nope. Strictly factory ammo.

I'm very happy with the new Trilene TransOptic. Has helped me start watching my line much more than in the past.

Seems like it would be better done on the message boards instead of here. My assumption was that this area was for Q&A related to hunting/fishing/outdoors.

Circle.

I have to think that the successful baits from the White River, where I fish often, would be pretty universal. In that case, I highly recommend (in this order): - Rapala CD7 Countdown Minnow in gold/black - PowerBait eggs (carolina rigged) - Just about any inline spinner like a Mepps Aglia

Most premium shotgun shells, especially anything tagged mil-spec, will be moisture resistant to the point of being almost waterproof. CPT BRAD offers a good way to test it out.

GIANT CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to the team.

Nope. Not what they're for.

8 year old Golden Retriever here. She's a spoiled princess, so she gets doggie ice cream and a new toy on her big day.

Have never had trouble with fogging inside of a Leupold.

Mosquito. Again. :)

"Affordable" is a subjective term, but I consider the Remington 700 SPS line to be an excellent bang for the buck. (Sorry for the pun).

I've never cast my own. For handguns, I generally shoot automatics and stick to factory projectiles for my rifles. Maybe I should think about it... :)

Another vote here for Chiggarid.

15 September in Missouri.

Audie Murphy.

I'll hunt anything. For me it's more about the time outside and the social aspects of hunting.

The easy answer is "Modified." A better answer will depend on your shooting scenario. Are you shooting ducks over decoys? Maybe go wider. Passing shots? Go tighter.

Potato masher.

More recently, I have seen a lot of places offer the device for free with a service contract. Having endured the cell phone contract game for many years, I'm hesitant to commit, but you may feel differently.