10-Ring

My first shotgun was a single shot 20 at the age of 11, then I moved up to a 12 gauge 870 at the age of 12. I only weighed about 80 pounds when I was 12 and I handled the 12 gauge just fine. I was just shooting field loads then, no magnums or 3" loads. I was very good with that gun, I remember out shooting some snobby kids with O/Us at a skeet and trap shoot when I was 14. I still have that gun, it is my go to shotgun and really the only shotgun I keep in my house. I still use it on a regular basis. Go ahead and get your boy a gun that will last him a lifetime. Of course every boy needs a .22, which I see you are covering already. Hard to go wrong with a 30-30 for deer, good solid gun with little recoil.

That's just part of my daily regimen take my pants off before I go to bed and they lie next to the bed, when I get up the next morning I typically put on a new pair of pants or wear the ones from the previous day if they are not dirty. At which point I transfer everything (including gun) from one pair of pants to the other. I would love it if someone would come over and throw my pants in the washing machine, lol. Very good point about the gun lying on the dresser. I try to make a point of not leaving guns just lying around the house. In a robbery that would have been gone in 2 seconds, I just got lucky that I wasn't robbed. I'm really trying to make more of an effort to be aware of where my sidearms are at all times. I took an extra minute this morning to verify everything and I am happy to report everything went as it should today. Got a good chuckle out of that one Lagerhead. Not much of a drinker these days, I drank my share for life in my younger days.

I've been carrying for about 7 years now. I haven't always been able to carry 24/7 but I am now fortunate enough to be able to do so most of the time (only exception is when I have to go into a gov't building or something.) So everyday I get ready for work, do the check before I leave (keys, check, work stuff, check, gun, check.) The last few days I have been failing miserably. Saturday morning I headed to work at about 4 am, sometime around 5:30 I realized that I did not have my gun, I was wearing a holster but no gun. I had taken the gun out of the holster and laid it on my dresser while putting my belt on. Then yesterday I was running errands in town and realized that I was wearing an empty holster, I was however carrying another gun in another location. Note of reference, I switch up between a S&W 642, and a Glock 26, or 27. I carry the Glock at 4 O'clock in a belt holster and the 642 rides in my right front pocket. I tend to carry the Glock more as the weather cools off, the 642 is just easier to deal with in the summer heat, this time of year I tend to switch up a lot. When carrying the Glock I also carry an extra mag in my right front pocket. Today I had to run into town I put the same pants on I was wearing yesterday and strapped the Glock on. Got to town and realized the 642 was in my pocket as well, so I was double armed today, no big deal, I just didn't do that intentionally. I don't know if the issue is that I switch up guns a lot this time of year. Maybe I was in a hurry? Maybe I'm coming complacent? Fortunatley I haven't done anything that is a safety issue. There are no untrained people around my house or anything. Probably the scariest thing I did was not having a gun while being out and about at odd hours Saturday morning, but I lived through it. Comments, criticisms, suggestions? Let me have it, my skin is thick, I can take it.

Thanks, a lot yall. I have a stubborn habit of defending my beliefs even when it gets ugly. Just got done arguing on Facebook about a peaceful demonstration where firearms were carried. The guy I was arguing with was a guy I knew from college and is in law school and will likely be a politician one day. He ended the conversation after I said my piece by saying "Um we'll have to agree to disagree b/c I don't really want to get into a full blown internet argument, lol" which I read as "I don't have a comeback for your brilliant point." @Roverboy, yes my uncle still talks to me, he knows his wife is an idiot. I'm not a huge fan of him either.

I started a massive family argument once at a restaurant (actually she started it.) My uncle's wife, (not calling her my aunt, as I don't claim any relation to her) said something over the meal about how people shouldn't hunt because it was cruel to animals and people should just buy their meat at the grocery store. Now she says this as she is stuffing her ignorant face with a cheese burger. I just couldn't take it I went on a rant right in the middle of the meal. I told her she was ignorant, I asked her if she had experienced the conditions of a corporate farm and personally seen the ways the animals there lived all of their life. Then I told her that she would appreciate the sacrifice that animal made by giving its life if she had to look it in the eye, kill it, gut, skin, quarter, debone, and grind the meat. Then I said anyone that has a problem with those things shouldn't be allowed to eat meat, it doesn't come from the grocery store it comes from an animal. Yeah but that family dinner didn't go over so well...

I love my Glocks, they just work very well and do what they are supposed to.

This is turning into a sticky discussion, although everyone is good intentioned. I think I would support legislation allowing for a reduced cost hunting license based on income, lets face it, although not as expensive as some states, it's getting downright expensive to hunt in TN. A person can buy quite a bit of food for what a license costs, just as WD-40 was saying. Someone compared poaching to stealing steaks from Walmart. I worked loss prevention for six years at a couple of different stores including Walmart. I was always dreading catching someone stealing because they really were hungry. I dreaded it because I knew I would have to prosecute them and it wasn't my call to make. Fortunately that never happened. I have caught people stealing steaks because they were hungry but I wasn't very sympathetic to that because I wasn't making enough to buy steaks then. If it was bread and peanut butter I would have really have had a hard time with that. I have had people tell me they were stealing DVD's because they were hungry, I tried to explain to them that DVD's are not edible.

Take a hard look at a 27, I hate carrying my 23 but forget the 27 is there. I seem to get about the same accuracy out of both.

I'm suited up alright but there are a few things I would like. No real need for a 4 wheeler it's an easy walk in to anywhere I hunt and I don't have a very far drag if I have one at all to get to where I can drive my truck. I would like a muzzle loader. I have an extra Mosin Nagant lying around. I am wanting to turn it into a custom job which will require stock, scope mount, scope, rings, bipod, and sling. When I get it done I will post up some pics. Lots of cheap stuff in there and no really expensive stuff, most expensive single part will be the $60 stock and a $100 scope that I already have. I have a stock Mosin as well but have no plans of bastardizing it.

As far as should you buy a G22 or G23 because you have magazines that will fit it, if the wheels on your car fit a Ferrari would you buy a Ferrari just so you could take your wheels off and swap them out? Doesn't make a lot of sense does it? 22 Vs. 23, I have a 23 and a 27, and no I didn't buy the 27 just because I can put 23 mags in it. I don't like carrying the 23 except in the coolest of weather. I'm 5'8" 150lbs so it's not really easy for me to conceal. The 23 has been relegated to a range gun and I wish if I just had it to shoot I would have gotten the 22. Just my opinion.

Actually I noticed that this way doesn't tear the hide at all, and no holes either. May actually be better, but I guess there is more than one way to skin a deer. I don't use my hides but if anyone can use them I hunt in middle TN and live in East TN so if you are anywhere in between and want them you are welcome to them.

I actually tried to video both times I did it but it was dark and didn't come out at all. I'm not going to get a chance to hunt until gun season but I will video and post up if at all possible.

A friend of mine showed me this trick last year and I tried it on two different deer, it worked great so I thought that I would share. Go to a hardware store and buy 10' of small cable, I think mine is 5/16", anything about that size should work. Buy two ferrules and put a loop on each end, a loop that creates about 4-6" circle is fine, again this isn't rocket science. So your finished product is about a 10' cable with a small loop at each end. Hang your deer by it's head, I use a tree for this. Cut around neck and around leg joints then up to belly midsections, just as you would normally do when skinning a deer. Then start at the neck and pull down about 8-10" of hide. Go find a fist sized rock (I also hear a golf ball will work but I haven't tried it.) Wrap the rock up in the hide and run one end of the cable through the other then around the rock/hide. It helps to have a friend hold it like this until you start pulling. At this point you should basically be able to pull at the other end of the cable and be pulling the hide off. Now, slip the other loop over your trailer hitch on your truck or 4 wheeler, put it in drive and pull away from the deer slowly. The skin should just slip off the deer. That's it! If anything is unclear feel free to ask for further clarification.

Why would they care about a pig? I know for a fact a blind eye would be turned for poaching pigs around here, they are a nuisance.

Pretty much since I've been deer hunting I've carried a backpack with me with several odds and ends in it that I tend or may need in the field, do others do this and what is in your pack? Off the top of my head I carry... -A box of bullets. I used to load my gun and go until one day in Unit L, I had 3 shells loaded, took down three does and one jumped up and ran, I vowed then to never run out of bullets. -Knife -Neoprene decoy gloves and a plastic shopping bag to put them in if they get bloody. (use them to gut and keep hands and arms completely clean) -A large pack of white cleaning patches, not for cleaning my rifle but these make excellent markers should you have to track a deer. Put them down to mark the blood, they are easily seen, cheap, and should you accidentally leave them in the field it really won't hurt anything. -Length of rope about 20 feet for dragging or whatever else. -30 feet of 550 cord for hoisting weapon into stand, or 1000 other uses. -Hand warmers in case I start getting cold. -Extra gloves if needed. -Extra socks if I'm going to be hunting a long way from truck or house. -A few power bars. -Binoculars -Cigarette lighter. -Backpack is Camelback compatible so I have water, but bottled water if you don't have this option. -Book or magazines. -When I used a tree stand (rarely do anymore) I kept my harness in there to make sure that I had it at all times. -Any calls, scents, or cover scents that you may use. I think each person would choose different things for their pack. Currently I am only hunting a couple of private farms and I am no further than 10 minutes from home or my vehicle so most of the stuff I carry is geared towards hunting needs and comfort, if you hunt more remote locations you may want to add basic survival and first aid gear so if you had to spend a night in the sticks you could do so somewhat comfortably. So what's in your pack? Always looking for things to make the hunt better!

^Yep, stay on the stand. I've always been bad about leaving the stand a little early, kind of like if your boss tells you to go home at 4:45 on Friday you go, just human nature I guess. I took two deer last fall a couple of days apart within 5 minutes of legal shooting time ending. There is no telling how many deer I've missed an opportunity at because I left 15 minutes too early. But, take good binoculars, both of the deer I took were difficult to see in the low light and both were spotted and shot at 200+ yards, mainly because I didn't have enough legal light to wait for them to get closer. -Also take a book, magazine, or even your smart phone to the stand, although considered unconventional by many, you will kill more deer in a stand reading a book than you will at home in front of the TV. -Scout the area before hunting if possible, the more scouting you do the more you will know about the local deer. Look for bedding areas, water sources, and food. Then find a funnel between these things, preferably the thickest, nastiest, cover you can find, this is the route the big boys take. -Make sure you have what you need to be comfortable in the stand all day. Bring plenty of food and drinks, but nothing noisy. If you are using a blind or permanent stand make sure your sitting arrangement is comfortable, if it's not you won't stay out all day like you should. -Keep your feet warm when the weather gets cold. Once my feet get cold I am done! They won't warm back up until I start moving. This can be challenging when you are sitting still in a stand. Invest in good boots. -Binoculars....Get the best ones that you can't afford. Besides using them to size up and locate game, they are a good way to pass time and learn more about your hunting area. -I usually hunt from the ground, I've killed the majority of my deer simply sitting at the base of a tree. I don't wear camo either, kind of pointless IMO when you have to wear orange anyway. Anyway if you are in a wooded area, kick back all the leaves around where you will be sitting, that way you don't make a lot of noise whenever you move. -I could go on and on but I think you will see mostly my secret is staying on stand and not making noise. Here is one more for after you have been successful. Carry in your backpack (you do have one of those right?) a pair of neoprene elbow length decoy gloves, Wear them when you are gutting. I have found I have enough dexterity to do the job while wearing the gloves. Once I have the deer gutted I remove them and stick them in a plastic grocery bag until I can get home and rinse them off. This way my hands and arms are completely clean and I don't have to find water in the field to clean up with.

Don't go starting the "they were hungry so it was okay to poach" junk. In case the massive amount of government assistance issued these days doesn't solve that problem there is a church on about every corner in this state and not a single one is not going to help a hungry person. I depend on a fair amount of wild game to eat throughout the year, I hunt legally and freeze it. No need to poach and I always have meat in the freezer.

As the owner of two dogs that live in a fenced in yard even though I live in an area where I can't even see another house from anywhere on my property let me say this. I think it's ironic that all of these irresponsible dog owners completely ignore the state leash law and let their dogs wander around, getting into peoples trash, digging in their flower beds, attacking their pets, and even their children and themselves. Yet when a property owner or someone walking or riding a bicycle down a public road attempts to defend themselves against a wayward dog the owners hide behind this "it's illegal to kill a dog crap." In my area if I'm approached by an aggressive dog it's getting shot and rolled over in a ditch. Don't like it, then keep your dog put up, it's that simple.

Canon Mark III camera and a Sigma 100-300 lens. I usually use a L series 70-200 but went with the Sigma to get a little bit more reach.

Took these this morning in the cove, just wanted to share.

No disrespect, and while I think your intent is good, how would you feel if you grew up in Montana, moved else where due to work, family, ect. but liked to return every year and hunt grizzlies, then all of the sudden they say "No out of state hunters allowed." Or I'm sure there are people that live in one state and hunt in another which is close by. I just think not allowing out of state hunters is not fair. Let the grizzly kill a moron every now and then, no one said hunting grizzlies was a safe thing to do in the first place. I just hate to see big brother making more rules to "protect" me.

I know several people the use them for different kinds of motorcycle applications. Most of the time they attach it to themselves. From what I understand rescuers can get within feet of the unit when they are looking for it. It also has preprogrammed messages (3 I believe) that send a text message to a predetermined person at the touch of a button. Very handy, one friend recently used one when he was broken down in an area miles from cell service, he just hit the button and his wife got the message "I'm okay I need you to bring the trailer." Lots of piece of mind for $100 a year.

Hey Cory I live just outside of Maryville, I'm a novice yote hunter but I have a great place to hunt with lots of yotes. I have the guns needed as well. I use a Mosin sometimes, I have no issues with accuracy with mine, I'd take a yote at 400 yrds without hesitation with open sites. I have a cheap electric call. We shoot a lot of crows and try for coyotes but no luck yet, after reading this forum I've learned quite a bit though. You are more than welcome to come knock around with me sometime and see what we can get.

No complaints on my chilli but I don't have an exact recipie, but I'll give you the best I can. About 2 pounds ground venison browned 1 Large onion 1 jar jalopenos 2 gloves of garlic 2 cans of beans 2 cans of stewed tomotoes 1 bell pepper To taste: Chilli powder sage nutmeg ground red pepper mace Put in crock pot and cook for atleast 6 hours on low. Sorry I never use exact measurements, I just kinda throw everything in until it tastes right.