BSmaster

For those of you not in the twin tiers. This happened yesterday. http://www.the-leader.com/article/20140109/NEWS/140109736 This is the problem that I have. We don't require educating our children in anything considered politically incorrect, however, my kids tell me everything that's wrong with the Polar bear's habitat & the rain forest. This young man shooting at squirrels in City limits probably suffers from a severe lack of common sense and never had a strong role model for gun safety. City limits - really? My Dad drilled us boys in gun safety continuosly and added that I will crush you look if you didn't obey. #1 rule. Always check to see if its loaded. #2 Never point a gun at something unless you intend to shoot it, #3 Always know what is behind what you are shooting at. There are more but these are the big ones. As a Father I have determined that it is best for me to hold off showing my cubs how to use a gun not because of political correctness but because I do not think they are ready. I was using a 4-10 & 22 rimfire at there age but everyone is diffferent. I feel it is my responsibility and not the Government to teach my kids gun safety and I believe that is where things fall short. How many people can buy a gun but have no idea about the simple rules I stated above. When I was a kid, I think everyone naturally took hunter ed but it isn't required to purchase - only to hunt. What if a hunter or an owner education certificate was required. This would make me feel better knowing young people who have zero influence with a firearm and may decide to own one have something that outlines true safety. Mental issues are a big one that won't be solved when they try to legislate evil away. We all know the safe gun act is full of crap and doesn't address any of the things that truly need to be addressed. That kid shooting at squirrels in city limits isn't ill or evil - just had a moron moment. A felony conviction might fix it but who knows? My point is education. Different generations had a different level and maybe we should be talking about this instead of 10 round clips or pistol grips on turkey guns. Just MHO, Joe

60 percent of the time it works every time. Haha.

Are you getting it mounted? Rabbit hunting just got harder. I noticed during deer season that a lot of the rabbits were out of cover at night. Soon to be "they gone" When I use to come home after a long night of bar hopping I would look up at a barn in the middle of the fields with a nice sky line and could see an Owl perched up there watching. Those things are magnificent to say the least. Its too bad they eat rabbits.

Avoid the sun, bridges, trees, weed lines, and large riff raff under the water. I meant this to say Avoid the sun, fish the bridges, trees, weed lines, and large riff raff under the water.

There isn't a charter or guide out there that can help with small river fishing on one trip. It is hit and miss and in a big way. I think it was the 20th trip out with a guy who did it for decades and told of great catches that I finally caught a walleye. Some things I have learned... Walleye that are well fed will usually only feed at night. This means some of the areas that hold walleye are part of nurseries for other fish and when these species peak in numbers and optimum size, good luck catching a walleye during the daytime (or at all). Match the bait fish when possible. Morning bite versus night bite. This switches and I find it irritating. When it is night 1/2 hour before and 1/2 hour after sunset - if they are not biting it won't be til after midnight. When it is morning get there well before sunrise. If they are not biting, wait til the fog presses down and then starts to rise. If there is nothing biting at this time, try something else or go home. Live bait is my favorite. I like to use suckers, stone rollers, chubs and sometimes stone cats. All of these will catch walleye but will catch a lot more bass and catfish. Spring time people use leeches and night crawlers. I don't. Stick baits - specifically crank style like rapalas in perch, fire tiger or shad. This is a reaction bite. Helps when they are fed well. Somebody is always going to fish the same spot as you and get better results - get use to it. Avoid the sun, bridges, trees, weed lines, and large riff raff under the water. If you find an area with a lot of snags, you found an area that holds walleyes. Your name is not Lindner - no pressure. Don't ever give up.

I am thinking it would be easiest to make a friend who fishes them in those waters you are intending to fish. One thing I have learned since devoting my time to catching them is that I catch a lot of other fish while trying. I suspect that you will be catching a lot of Bronze, browns, lakers, and pike, while trolling for them in the big O. I use large sticks and jigs in the southern tier and I absolutely hammer the smallies. Few if any walleyes to bass. But when I do get into them it feels rewarding. This makes my point. If it was easy then it would be bass fishing. Stick with it. People don't fish for them because they fight hard. No tail dancing or big runs - just shoulder shakes. They slow bite at times and don't feed at others. Challenging (and good eating) Another idea I have is that you get your buddies to go in on a charter (probably Erie) to learn how it is done in the lake. As far as Genny goes, I don't know if I would want to catch and/or eat them from there. Good Luck. Hopefully some of your neighbors will shoot you a PM and give you some solid pointers. Joe

Good read Ray. I am actually happy to see you made it back down to Earth this year. Last year was impressive. I was a little green with envy. ME... I went all season without seeing antlers. I started that quality deer management thing last year (I think it jinxed me) and realized at the end of season this year that the kids like venison hotdogs. They do not care about trophys. So I was reminded that I am a hero when the hotdogs get back from the packing plant, not when I let deer possibly get bigger for someonone else in the following years. I still tell people no small bucks or fawns but certain times a deer needs to make it to my freezer even though it doesn't classify as a shooter or a trophy. Now I am the one whining.

Exactly.

Give up some rabbit dish ideas. Back straps. As a kid we would chunk them up, bread them, and deep fry them and eat them with BBQ sauce. Now I treat them like venison, marinating them for 2-4 days and grilling them quick. Front legs. Most people chuck em because they don't look like much. I keep them. Back legs. Easy to debone, they make for lots of dishes. Most people like to smoke em. I take the legs and crock pot cook them with garlic, bay leaves a little salt and pepper, sometimes some sage and sweet basil, a can of non hoppy beer. Meat cooks off real easy and shreds nicely. So from here you can mix with a BBQ sauce and make a pulled pork samich, or put in your spaghetti sauce, or chili. I have heard of other dishes but these are the ones I have most experience with. One word of caution - the bones splinter worse than chicken bones. It is hard to find them sometimes and biting into them is not pleasant. I use a plastic container and shake the meat (bone on plastic makes a sound) to make sure I have gotten all of them. With a dog like that and young legs I would be out getting rabbits every chance I could get. Good times, Joe