My buddy is an Econ officer. He gets really frustrated with people complaining but not doing anything about seen hunting infractions. They would love a call to bust people breaking the law.
The shrimp in the dead fish is interesting. Perhaps the shrimp are a vector for another parasite that is effecting predator fish that consume them? We seemingly lost two year classes of kings, steelhead and browns during the stress of the bad winters of '12 and '13 in Lake Ontario. The DEC had no answer for the missing fish (I don't buy thiamine deficiency that decides to crop up after decades of alewife ingestion and no previous problems). Smells like a parasite or virus is at play.
I would add that if it is a parasite or virus.....there is nothing that can be done to fix it. Best guess is if there is some insidious pathology at work, it will have to play itself out over time.
Thanks for resurrection of the thread. Really helps to see other people’s deer to see what is available. This fall was bitter sweet with the passing of my father after a 16 year battle with Parkinson’s. I swear my father was directing deer my way all season. I had deer trying to commit suicide every time out. I was skunked only once having deer in easy bow range each sit. Punched 5 tags with most on state or county land. Two easy winters had deer numbers up.
No worries. Love hunting camp stories. Funny one state North and it is dark at 4:45. Earth is round. Wow, Western PA you can shoot till 5:20! I need to get a Pennsylvania license.
I am not saying he was shooting illegally late? Look at the Pennsylvania legal shooting chart. It is 1/2 hour later than NY. I am merely noting the difference between the two states.
Used to go to Nipising every year but heading up to North Bay on a two lane road with all the population growth in Ontario turned a long drive into a nitemare. Added restrictions and making the walleye opener later killed our Memorial Day tradition. Oh well, we just learned how to fish Oneida, Chautauqua, and Erie. Business and growth is booming in Ontario....they don’t miss us Americans.
In that case you don't want deer feeding near the road, plant more evergreens. You will help keep poacher-eyes out of your deer fields if you screen the road view in with two layers of pines.
Hinge cut your less $ trees. It will screen in naturally. Deer will feed on blackberry brambles all winter. Deer don't get any nutrition from evergreens only thermal cover. It sounds like you have that covered on your farm already.