Gill-T

Unique deer! Those points on the right look like turkey feet. Lots of big deer shot outside of opening day this year.

My Tekotas have been excellent. My Saltists have been excellent. The only reason I prefer the tekotas for wire is the lower gear ratio for bringing in those big wire kings, perhaps a little more gentle with the slower uptake. The line counters on the saltist do jab into the forearm more than other reels. Both quality made.

For wire I like the slower, smoother, cheaper Shimano Tekota. I have numerous saltists also.

Hawks have always been around. The problem in your situation is a learned pattern of easy prey. At a rod and gun club in Lewiston there are a pair of hawks that have learned how to work together to kill pheasants in their nets/pens. One bird swoops down and scares the pheasants into flight and as they flap against the overhead netting, the second hawk swoops down and cuts their heads off. Seems to me if you have a problem bear or wolf or whatever you can get a permit or warden action to kill the nuisance critter so why not hawks?

Wow. What township?

It is an enigma. On one hand the theory that colder water reduces metabolism and therefore feeding and ultimately size. Charter captains I know have log books that seem to confirm this. On the other hand is the theory that more two year old kings run when they experience lots of food..... So which is it....are they feeding or are they feeding too much???? I would bet the temperature of the ocean in Alaska stays pretty cold. The fish evolved to exist in cold climates. Scroll down once you are on the below link and you will see Alaska ocean temps don't really get above 54 degrees. Different strains up there compared to the Tule strain of Kings we have which came from warmer Washington waters but it shows Kings should not care about 39 degree water. The mean temps off Washington seem to show 40-55 degrees most of the year which is the temp we usually find them in Lake Ontario. https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/all_meanT.html

With mud up high on that deer's legs you know he has been in some soggy areas.

People visiting the hatchery during egg/milt taking have noticed hatchery employees just grabbing fish and not really selecting the biggest/fittest. Human nature would dictate if you were picking up large slippery awkward fish all day, the back and shoulders might get a little sore. Whether subconsciously or consciously we all might start to grab the two-year olds after awhile. That is why it needs to be policy to only strip 3 year-olds.

There may be a genetic un-natural selection that has gone on in recent history. Within this decade we had some difficulties obtaining enough eggs from brood stock to meet the hatcheries quota. That meant hatchery employees could not be as selective in which adults are used for egg and milt. If there were a lot of 2 year olds used due to a lack of three year olds getting up to the hatchery from getting caught by fishermen easier in shallow water we may have inadvertently selected for fish that run in two years. I also don't know if it is hatchery policy to select only three year old brood stock........BUT IT SHOULD!

I know on the great lakes Botulism has taken its fair share.

I have done this with my stinky undershirt. Just hung it nearby and it worked.

OMG forget next year.....get your muzzleloader ready!

Go here http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/ They should have them under gold star "smoke silver glow". Not sure if they are still made but the extended blue-glow Optitackle dodger at http://www.tackletheoutdoors.com/TackleStore/TroutSalmon/tabid/69/ProductID/326/List/0/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName gets a lot of play mostly for lakers. Alderton dodgers (action dodgers) chrome with customized crush glow or glow slick on both sides. Orange small Alderton (action)dodger for cohos. Stan, just sell the house in California and move to the shores of Lake Ontario!

A few weeks ago up by Canton there were TONS of geese and ducks. I was having to use the barrel of my gun to swat at all the mallards and woodies descending on my head when we were pulling our dekes. Due to the warm weather the ducks can still get access to the back slough areas. You may have to do little hiking and wading but without freezing temps the birds have access to all the back-water areas.

That doe is older than 6.5 yrs old! Good Kill!

Ray, I have been hunting with my climber right in that power-line right-of-way area and I have not seen that buck yet.

I can see there is not much difference between opening and dropping a bag of apples vs sitting near an apple tree but there is a limit for me to man's interference in the process. To each his own but please don't brag to me about how you are a great hunter if you are sitting over bait. IMO you are short changing the experience if you bait. Ted Nugent can shoot lights-out with his bow over a pile of bait. WIth his bad knees he can't hunt any other way. Good for him. Not for me. As long as I am able-bodied I will give deer every fair chase opportunity I can including not using trail-cams. Respect the quarry.