I would like to add, Thank you for your service to our country. Oh, and good luck in your new pursuit.

Depends on where you will be hunting them. If you are in the deep woods anywhere, a flat shooting gun is not necessary, Something like a .44 Magnum or a .30-30 would probably be fine. If you're hunting on the western plains, you will need a gun that can reach out and touch them at extended ranges. For the longer shots, I am a big fan of the .270. It is flat shooting, I have a point blank six inch sight window of 300 yards. But in the woods, where you're lucky to see more than, say 50 yards, that is not an issue. Even a shotgun with slugs would work there.

I would check pawn shops in your area. Be careful, the ATF takes a dim view of people buying rifles from a person in another state, They lose what little sense of humor they have. (Which ain't much) Check local outlets first. You might try shotgun news but you will need to have someone with an FFL to receive it, usually gets expensive. I like pawn shops

In some jurisdictions, possession of a firearm after a Felony Conviction can get him put away for a long time. I would check with a lawyer and consider making an application in the state of Texas to get the conviction looked at and possibly some kind of expungement of his record, be it a pardon or whatever. Without that, if he gets caught with a firearm, he is pretty much screwed to the wall and a fair target for law enforcement.

Unfortunately, I wear bifocals. That means if I can see iron sights the target is out of focus, if I can see the target, the sights are out of focus. When I hunt I don't wear glasses at all. They get in the way of my binocs and I use a 4X12 scope. I can see fine real far away so its no problem. I hate wearing glasses, never had to until I got into my forties. Pain getting old and things not working a swell as they used.

Depending on how bad it is, you may need antihistamines and/or steroids. Most of the time if it is a bad exposure, it will take time. Often times there is no quick fix. See you doctor if it's not getting better. Good luck.

I use a 20 ga Mossberg 500. You can get one at WalMart for just over $200, less than $225 pretax, at least that's what they were about a month or so ago. You get a wood stock, adds weight, reduces recoil. I love mine, killed a bunch of pheasant and quail with it. You can also buy a rifled slug barrel for it and take to the deer woods. Check it out.

Clay, I am an RN, retired from ER after more years than I should count. My experiences with the VA are not good ones. I have been talked down to, one nurse essentially told me that as a veteran I was too stupid to understand what she was telling me. I told her she was in violation of the Oklahoma Nurse Practice Act. SHe had a real sarcastic tone and asked how I could possibly know what is in the Nurse Practice act. I then identified myself as an RN with a degree, The tone changed and when I tried to get her name, instead they decided that my original request was not so stupid. I never did get her name , but I did get what I had called for. This is what we will all have to look forward to with OBAMACARE, or as it really is OBAMA NO CARE.

Add up all of the Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, Sportsman's warehouses, Academy stores, factor in all the locally owned stores all over the country, and some that I am not aware of or have just forgotten, I would say it's a bunch.

I would definitely have to choose Alaska, not just because it's the "Coldest State, Hottest Governor" but because I love to eat moose & salmon. Also my grandparents came from Sweden and therefore I am genetically predisposed to cooler climes. Don't care for hot weather much at all, that kind of leaves Africa out of the picture for me. I have been to enough places where it gets hotter than I care for. :)

Let me second Kody. I will also mention that the stuff I carry into the field today is mighty small compared to what I carried into the field when I was in the Army, back in the very early 70's. I don't carry a lot of toys, I have a blind, it is a portable one, and other than that, I carry a fanny pack with a compass, 5 ways to start a fire, a first aid kit, several knives, ammo and my guns. Oh, and a pair of 3x3 Mule deer antlers from a deer an uncle of mine killed before I was born. I dress for the weather and until recently when I tore a pair of my favorite hunting pants, bought from Cabela's about 25 years ago, I haven't bought anything new in close to 10 years. The deer in the picture I killed on the last day of season and was the first legal deer I saw. If it had been a doe, I would have shot it. I will only kill the first legal deer I see. I am not one to say, I will wait for something better. When I used to do that, I went home many times with nothing. I have killed deer on opening morning, but those have been few and far between. I will hunt long hours and many days to take a deer. I don't look for trophies, but if one comes into my sights, I will take it. I have been in the position where I could have waited for the big one to come into range or take one that was not a wallhanger, but was a sure thing. I chose the sure thing. I don't use many toys, they get in my way.

I would start out by looking down the barrel when it is not mounted but sitting on sandbags and is stationary. Then check if the scope sees the same thing you see when you look through the barrel. Adjust the scope until it looks close to the same.Then mount the barrel on the gun and start with your first shot at no more than 25 yds. Once you get your vertical axis set up, you can start stretching your range. I have a Mossberg 500, 20 gauge that I have a rifled barrel for. It is reasonably accurate at 100 yards. I had to spend a bunch of money on ammo to get it sighted in, but once I got it it was sweet.

We need to know more about where you will be hunting. A gun that works in, say the woods where long shots will probably be less than 60 yds, may not be the best for, say the Sandhills of Nebraska or the panhandle of Oklahoma, where a 300 yard shot is not an unreasonable expectation. My preference for deer is a .270. It also works on coyotes and should work on wild pig. (I use a .44 for pig) The .270 gives me well over 300 yards in range and every deer I have hit with it, has been killed. I have posted a lot on this caliber so everyone who is a regular knows where my affections lie.

I am not a duck hunter but as a vet and a card carrying old fart, I thank you for your service to our country

I prefer a .270 for deer sized animals. It is flat shooting and in a pinch can be used for elk, the two smaller ones you mentioned should not be used for elk.

I have taken care of more snakebites in the ER, than I can count, but only gave anti-venom 3 times. Most people described a quick strike and then the snake tried to leave. For most of them the quick strike was so quick there was a grade 0 envenomation, meaning there was no appreciable signs of a bite other than the holes made by the fangs (things like swelling or discoloration, stuff like that) Grade 0 is what you want in a snake bite, antibiotics for any infection, a tetanus shot, they were good to go.

Hogs will out-compete every other animal in the area they are in. I have had people tell the hogs have denuded the entire area and left nothing for the animals that belong there. They leave nothing but destruction in their wake. In my book the only good wild hog is a dead wild hog. KTA, LGSTO those familiar with my posts will understand.

In every place I have hunted, that is illegal unless you are wheelchair bound. I agree with the above posts, it is not hunting, it is poaching. These people are bottom feeding, maggot munching, scum sucking, slime slurping lowlifes, not fit to be called a hunter, and I am not so sure they would qualify as human.

All of the above have good points. As Johnnie said, if it is with a rifle, going back to the basic with a .22 is the best way to develop the right habits. Sometimes, if it because the gun kicks just enough, you need to get rid of the gun. I broke my nose on a rifle many years ago and I could not pick it up without my eyes watering to badly to see the target. It is too long a story to explain how it happened. I had to get rid of the gun. If you are shooting a handgun, particularly a revolver, fill every other with alive cartridge and spin the cylinder. That will tell you how much you are flinching. I shoot a Smith 629 classic hunter,(.44 Mag) When I haven't shot it in awhile I load every other, just to check myself. If I jerk on an empty case, I know I need to work on technique. As Kody said, "Concentrating on 'not flinching' is a lost cause" The more you think about it the more you will do it, even if you are thinking about not doing it. Whatever you are focusing on the most is what you will do, even if you are focusing on what you don't want. Cruel law of nature, I know, but it is true.

For a runny nose, I use Afrin. it is a nasal spray, works great for CERTAIN problems. But don't take it more than 5 days, twice a day or you can get to where you feel you can't breathe through your nose without it. Read the instructions. Once a person gets hooked on it, it is hard to get off. Specially since we all like to breathe.

I too, am a wood stock aficionado. I like the feel, the look, I like it all. But I have been told, I am an old fart and old habits die hard. I may get a synthetic some day, probably not, but I try to never say never. Wood has a character that no synthetic can ever achieve.

NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!! If you touch the testicles and the scent glands, you can get a scent on your hands and your knife and if you touch the meat you run the risk of contaminating the meat and then it can taste bad. If you leave them alone, they won't do anything. If you have someone to process your deer, they should know how to deal with it. If you want to process your deer yourself, there are a lot of books and DVDs out there that tell you how. A good example of a book is "Butchering Deer" by John Weiss in the Outdoorsman's Edge Guides published by Creative Outdoors in Upper Saddle River NJ. (you should be able to get it on line or at your local Borders or Hastings Book stores. Years ago I knew people who swore you had to cut them off. They always had bad tasting deer meat, because they were contaminating it. They also were the guys that read the books from back in the 40's that said you had to cut the deer's throat to bleed it. The couldn't understand why the taxidermist hated to see them coming. But they had completely ruined the cape.

It's strictly a matter of personal preference. I like Remington rifles. I have a Remington 721 that is probably at least 50 years old and still prints sub MOA on targets if I take the time to do it. This gun you are looking at has a synthetic stock so felt recoil will be greater than with a wood stock. The caliber is not nearly as flat shooting as a .30-06 or a .270. But there is more documentation on the .308 than just about any other cartridge because it has been used for years by the military and civilian police forces as a sniper weapon. I am not a huge fan of the gun as I like a much flatter shooting rifle. But the caliber is good, predictable, and reliable. As I said, this is strictly a matter of personal preference. No one can tell you what you are going to like. If you try it and you kill your first deer with it, odds are it will be your favorite gun. If it doesn't work that way, you may hate it. No way to tell before you cross that bridge. How is that for a mixed metaphor?

I shoot a Remington 721 in .270 using Hornady 140 gr BTSP Light Magnum. It has a MV of 3100 fps. When I sight it in at 2.75" high at 100 yds I have a 6" point blank window out to 296 yds, dead on at 248 yds. If I were to sight it in dead on at 200 yds,the bullet would be -6.1" at 300 yds. At 300 yds the ft-lbs of energy is still 1982. By point blank window, I mean that from the time the bullet leaves the muzzle it will not be above or below the line of sight of my scope by more than 3" either way. With a .30-06 150 gr SP Light Magnum, your 6" point blank window is lessened by about 4o yds and your energy at 300 yds is down to 1754. The .270 round is much flatter shooting and delivers as much "knockdown" on a whitetail as a .30-06 at ranges most responsible hunters will try to take a deer at. By that I mean, most people who try to make 500-600 yd shots shouldn't. I don't and I was trained to do that in the Army, and had all this nice little hardware to wear to prove it. I still don't take shots on deer that are much beyond 300-350 yds. Too many variables can move the bullet in that time frame between leaving the muzzle of you gun and to impact with your target. Enough editorializing, Both rounds the .30-06 and the .270 are absolutely great deer rounds and when used properly will take any whitetail it connects with. I prefer the .270 because I don't have to figure for distance and elevation as much as I would for a .30-06.

Any shot where you can drop both lungs or destroy the heart are lethal. That being said I have shot deer and found that their heart was destroyed, unable to pump any blood and the deer ran, one for over 100 yards into heavy cover. The only 100% guarantee shot is to the spinal cord above the shoulder, they will go do right there. But 99% of all hunters have no business trying to make that shot at any distance, myself included, And I have been fortunate to have had extra marksmanship training that many others have not. I have done neck shots but under most circumstances I recommend against it. I shot a cow elk in the head because it had already been shot by someone else twice and would have either gotten away or was going to slowly bleed to death from a gut shot. The head was the only decent target that the terrain and trees would permit. I was fortunate.

Shooting a bear with a.22 is a very good way to really irritate the bear, and a bear is not a critter you want irritated, particularly if the bear views you as the source of his irritation. The odds of stopping a bear with a .22 are negligible. Plus in some states, if you shoot the bear and survive, you could spend a long time thinking about your folly while a guest of your state government incarceration facility. It's not worth the risk.

If you can get a gun chambered in .223 on an AR frame, the Remington R15, comes to mind, it should be light enough recoil for even a small child of the ages you mention. Any reliable brand weapon with an AR frame should work. I don't remember any recoil to speak of in shooting that particular gun, an M16A1. When I was in Basic Training in the Army, they made a big deal about there being no recoil. The range officer stood up and pointed his weapon down range and shot the weapon as he held it against his crotch. That is one of the few things I remember from Basic. It was only been in the early 70's and I have slept since then.

Never been in that situation, but there was a slogan we had in the Army back in the early 70's. "Kill Them All, Let God Sort Them Out." Seems appropriate to me.

Depends on the muzzle velocity, I am shooting 140 gr Hornady Light Magnums, my muzzle velocity is in the 3000fps range. I sight my gun in at 100 yds, shooting 2.75" high. I believe point of maximum rise is around 147 yds. That is 3" above line of sight. It crosses line of sight at somewhere between 245 and 250 yds. At 296 yds I am at 3" below line of sight. That gives me a point blank window out to 300yds. I am citing these numbers from memory and they may not be exact, but it will be close. If you know someone who has a ballistics program, you can plug in the numbers for your gun and print out all of the data you need for the round you are shooting. Good luck and good shooting.

I would be reluctant to trust it if it is still touching. That could be just enough contact to throw it off. You may need to try a different set of high rise rings. I went through several before I found one that worked for my scope and rifle.

Treestand, what is the big deal with all the different kinds of cars out there? I drive an '05 Ranger FX4 and it does everything most hunters could ask for in a truck. Of course, I am kidding, here. But for the same reason, there are vehicles with different sized engines and passenger capacities, there are different caliber of guns. When it comes to hunting, there are very few "One size fits all" guns that fit everybody. Oh, and I don't plan on parting with my Ranger pickup either.

Well said Kody. I will add that the .30-06 does have a cult following. Those people are unlike the enlightened ones who have advanced to the sublime serenity of shooting the .270 ;-) Using Hornady 140 gr light magnums, sighted 2.75 inches high at 100 yards will give me a 6 inch sight window out to 300 yds.(Actually 296) with 147 yds being 3 inches above line of sight, 250 yds dead on and 296 yds 3 inches below line of sight. It is much flatter shooting and I don't have to make any adjustments for elevation at different distances. If I can see the deer with the naked eye, I can hit it. I am using a 4x12 scope. I have killed deer and elk with my gun. And everything I hot has gone down.

Hear, Hear.

Kody, I am currently living in Oklahoma. You have not said anything that my life experiences would lead me to contradict. :-)

First some wuestions for you. How old are you? how much money do you have to spend on a gun? How much time have you been putting in to just go shooting? There are lot of other questions, such as what will you be hunting? What works for rabbits or birds will not work for elk. There are a lot of diverse people here to help you determine what will work best for you.

That is a good bow, I had one at least 20 years ago or more. Good luck.

I'm a big John Wayne Fan, so "The Green Berets" is one of my favorite. Also, I like "Blackhawk Down", "Hamburger Hill", and "We were soldiers". If you're not into war movies, any of the movies based on Tom Clancy's books, "The Hunt for Red October", "Clear and Present Danger","Patriot Games, and "The Sum of All Fears". That being said, I prefer the books to the movies when it comes to Tom Clancy. The "Bourne" movies are pretty good, too.

Well, fatal is fatal. there are no degrees of dead. Check your clothes and your when you've been out, particularly around the cuffs, ankles, neck and waist. It is a good idea to have someone check you out when you're getting undressed. I have been known to get undressed in the garage and have my wife look me over in areas I can't see, back, etc. If you do find a tick, do not burn it off with a cigarette or anything else. When it gets heated up like that, it can cause it to explode injecting you with any disease organisms it may be carrying. The CDC has some recommendations, for those go to http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/Lyme/ There are multiple links to get a lot of info on Lyme Disease. It is bad stuff, it may not kill you, but an acquaintance of mine had it and for two years, until he was diagnosed correctly, almost would rather have died.

Whichever one fits you best. It is so much a personal preference thing here. Both are good guns, I take that back, they are great guns. I am a Mossberg fan, but I know several shooters who think as much of their Remington as I do my Mossberg. Which ever one you can shoot the best is the best gun for you.

Check with California department of fish and game http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/

Muzzle velocity/Muzzle energy for the .280 is about 3000 fps/2777 at 100 yds those numbers are 2804/2427 200 yds 2617/2113, 300 yds 2437/1833 For the .270 the numbers in the same order are:Muzzle 3060/2702 100 yds 2851/2345 200 yds 2651/2028 and 300 yds 2460/1746 These are using the low end Hornady loads. For the light magnum Hornady factory loads .280 Muzzle 3110/2985, 100 yds 2909/2612 200 yds 2718/2279, 300 yds 2534/1981 .270 Muzzle 3100/2987, 100 yds 2900/2614 200 yds 2709/2280 300 yds 2525/1982 It's going to come down to personal preference. For those of us who really like the .270 (I am one) we will all think that our gun is better. I know a guy who swears by the .280 but he has numerous other character flaws, too. ;-)

Check with California department of fish and game http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/

I am real partial to the Mossberg 20 gauge. You can get a rifled barrel for it for deer. Mine does real good out past 100 yds, but I wouldn't recommend shooting much beyond that. As far as the smoothbore barrel, it comes with 2 or 3 chokes that are easy to change. WalMart was carrying the gun for under $250 earlier this year. You should be able to get the rifled Barrel for less than $150. That will give the new shooter plenty of opportunity to hunt, bird, small game and deer. I think it is a great first gun for any shooter. It's not my first shotgun, but it is usually my "go to" gun. I keep it loaded with #4's with a full tube, improved cylinder choke, makes an awesome house gun. Nothing scarier to a guy breaking into your house than hearing a shotgun getting a shell racked. They think it's the next to the last sound they will hear.

Check out http://www.thesnipehunter.com/ Don't get fooled by someone taking you snipe hunting without guns. They are a hard bird to hit. I have killed one in my life, forty five years ago. It was a lucky shot with a .22. Johnnie is correct. The word sniper came to be in the 1820's and comes from someone who could shoot a snipe at long distance. These men were chosen for their extreme marksmanship and became snipers to pick of the enemy soldiers. There is a long military history of snipers dating back to the 1600's.

The best gun for one may not work for another. Johnnie spelled it out very well. I am a big fan of the .270. The recoil is less than a .30-06 and has a longer range. If you have a gun with a wooden stock, the weight will help to dampen the recoil. It is flatt shooting and should last for years. Mossberg, Remington(my choice her), Winchester all make guns in this caliber. Just make sure it fits you before you buy it. The best gun in the world is useless if you can't tolerate shooting it. If you decide a shotgun is the way to go, for a new shooter, a 20 gauge shotgun can be a good investment. Mossberg (my choice) and Remington are good firearms. You can also get a rifled slug barrel for those guns and they can pull double duty, for deer and birds and small game.

I grew up thinking roadside hunters were a little lower than sea sludge. My opinions have changed over the years. They do not have such an elevated status as to be what the sea sludge lands on. They are much lower than that, 4 to 5 layers lower. They have to use optics to look up to see the sea sludge.

This is where state's rights can get to be a big topic of discussion. This was passed to be covered under the 10th Amendment and essentially says "Federal government, you have no jurisdiction here" I think it is GREAT! There are too many areas where the Federal government has control that are not Constitutional and the states need to start somewhere getting the federal intrusion OUT. It should be nationwide.

I have a Mossberg 20 gauge as the house gun. My wife can shoot it, so can my daughter. I keep it with an IC choke and loaded with 5 rounds of #4 shot. At distances less than 30-40 feet, it puts big holes in targets that I shoot. I've also killed a bunch of quail, rabbit, squirrel, and pheasant with it. I have a rifled slug barrel for it and my daughter used it one year to go deer hunting with me. She decided she was not a hunter, but the bright side is I got anew barrel that is almost like getting a new gun.

Pineywoods has done a good job, the only thing I would add is make sure there is no movement of your scope. If it is not truly tight, you will never get your gun sighted in and your sight picture will change from shot to to shot. And you won't hit anything you want to.

They can be very handy or dangerous depending on how you use it. Brigade Quartermaster sells one model that works well. Just follow the instructions so you don't break it and hurt yourself.

Don't expect anyone knowledgeable at WalMart, pineywoods is SO correct. Some years back, I had a guy there try to tell me the lighter the gun the less the kick, and then told me that I hadn't been shooting as long as he had. That being said, if you know what you want and they have it, it'll probably be cheaper there. I have seen Mossberg 500's for just over $200, that is not a synthetic stock. Just don't ask any questions because you have a 75% chance the info you are given is wrong.

I would not do it. I speak as a retired ER nurse.You probably wouldn't have another rash if you did that. A rash like that can mean your body has been sensitized and you are having an antibody antigen response. This can escalate to a true anaphyllactic event. Those can be fatal if there is no emergency medical treatment at hand. By the time you realized how bad it was and what was going on, you could be a case for the Medical Examiner's office. May not happen, but it could. It's kinda like playing on the highway at night, you might not get hurt, but common sense should tell you, probably not a good idea.

I am with 86Ram, I like the Mossberg 500. If you buy the 12, you can get a muzzle loader barrel to put on it and a slug barrel, and should be able to stay under the $600 when you buy all three, if you shop around. WalMart was charging just over $200 just for the gun, I bought a slug barrel for, I think $125. Check it out.

I think cjohnsrud is dead on. If you have a gun you are already familiar with you are mostly ready. I would not argue with his recommendation on a cartridge either. I have talked to too many hunters to not try to reinforce what he said about shot placement. Elk can be very resistant to shots that would drop a whitetail in its tracks, have seen it myself. They can and will travel a bunch if the shot is not pretty much lethal on first contact. Good luck and be sure to post pics if you get one.

I shoot a Remington 721 in .270. Killed a bunch of whitetail with including the one in the picture posted by my name. It will kill elk, I have done so but requires very careful shot placement. I shoot Hornady 270 WIN 140 GR BTSP LIGHT MAGNUM. They have a MV about 3100 fps. I sight my group in at 2&3/4 inches high at 100 yards and I have a 6: point blank window out to 296 yards. Meaning I will not be above 3" line of sight or below 3" line of sight. If you get a good shot the deer will go down. I have killed elk and whitetails. The whitetails have been at distances around 350 yards. Love that 4-12 X scope. Good luck.

Actually they didn't. Single shots are not a bad option. It teaches you to be more selective about your shots. Too many people who hunt use way too much ammo. They take shots they shouldn't because they feel, "I've got 4 more in my gun." You won't take those bad shots when you know that one has to count. There is also a matter of pride in bringing back a real nice deer, elk, etc. and knowing you dropped it with one shot. For the last 8 deer I killed. I fired a total of 9 rounds. That one round was a bad shot and didn't even touch the deer.

I don't want anymore governmental intervention in my life than was there when I was born back in the Truman administration. It needs to be rolled back to 1950. Every time the government gets involved, they screw it up worse. We need to throw all the bums out that vote any more authority to any governmental agency. Ronald Reagan had a quote that is so true. "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

I have several questions. No. 1.What kind of rest are you using? I would try sandbags and make sure you have a completely stable platform from which you are shooting. No. 2. Are you keeping the same cheek to gun point of contact from one shot to another? Inconsistency here will give you an inconsistent pattern. No. 3. Have you had someone else watch you shoot? Sometimes we do things that don't seem to be important and we may not even be aware of and an outside observer can pick up on that. No. 4. Have you had other people shoot your gun and did they find the same problem? No. 5. Have you had other people check the tightness of your screws and rings? After I had my stroke, I didn't pick up on the fact that one of the screws had become loose and my groups got really bad.(OK, in a sense, I did have a screw loose.) I showed it to gunsmith friend of mind and he found the problem right away. Without looking at the gun, those are the only things that immediately come to mind. Good luck in working through this, I know how frustrating this can be.

I am partial to the 20 gauge, because it is so versatile. It is a good squirrel gun if you use small shot, same with dove and quail. Use bigger shot and it's great for rabbit or pheasant. But that's just me. I love my 20 ga Mossberg 500.

When I am in a canoe and I see a snake heading toward me, it is a cottonmouth until proven otherwise. I mean, I have never let them get close enough to get a real good positive ID. I don't like cottonmouths at all. They don't cook well and they are a nuisance as well as venomous. I don't know that much about their swimming patterns and will freely admit it. When I am in any kind of canoe, any snake in the water wanting to join me in my boat is a target for me. I do know for a fact that you can cut a snake in half with an oar if you bring it down hard enough and fast enough and at the right angle. Been there done that. Adrenaline helps. There are numerous books, like Peterson Field guides you can use. In the wild, I have had to resort to the shoot first, ask later when I was unable to retreat and the snake wasn't interested in retreating either. Fact of life, If I feel threatened, I remove the threat.

I would almost always go for the higher power scope when you're going to be hunting wide open spaces. As madmax says 4x for timber and the 16x for when you want to reach out and touch something.

You can always try brain tanning. It will take some work but there are sites to get you started. Every deer has just enough brains to tan his own hide. http://www.braintan.com/articles/furs/george1.html http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=brain+tanning&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=zp2JSsXJJ4ioMK2ykdwL&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4# If these don't help just do a search on brain tanning. The good points are #1 It is easily available every animal has a brain. #2 No harsh chemicals that can create a disposal problem or that awful chemical smell, no fumes, etc.

I have a mossberg that I've had for more years than some of these readers have been alive. It works as good now as when it was new. Before i tore my shoulder up, I could shoot at birds and see three wads in the air as I shot. A friend who had a fancy Italian gun couldn't shoot his as fast or as accurately as mine. If you get a Mossberg 500 in 12 gauge, you can order a muzzle loader barrel and have two guns in one. Make that three guns, if you count the rifled barrel and the smooth bore. It doesn't get any better than that.

I'm coming with a loud "amen" to Hunter4Life. It is flatter shooting than a .30-06 and can shoot a cartridge from 130 grain to 150 grain with MV up to 3000fps or more. I have killed deer and elk with my .270 and at distances longer than I could have with my .30-06. I can have a 6" point blank window out to 300 yds plus or minus, when I have it sighted in at 2.75" high at 100 yds. I don't have to change my scope settings just put my crosshairs where I want it and it will be no more than 3" above or below that spot. Gotta love it.

Try going to http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Cook-Snapping-Turtle&id=334754. also do a search of snapping turtle recipes on google.

I'm going to agree with Kody. That bullet is way to heavy to be putting through a .30-06. The next caliber up that I know of that uses a 220 grain bullet is getting to the .338 win mag. Even then your MV is in the 2700+ range. Trying to put a chunk of metal that heavy downrange through an -06 seems to be begging for problems. I don't think I've seen a load heavier than a 180 grain for that gun. I wouldn't try it.

See http://www.chefdepot.net/agingwildgame.htm http://www.eckrich.org/ there are a bunch of others, do a google search under butchering a deer. You will get enough information to keep you busy for a long time.

It is, for me, the only real Outdoor magazine that I have continually read. Tried the others, but always kept the OL. I started reading OL back in the 50's when I was small and when I got out on my own, it was one of the first magazine subscriptions I got. I think it was a good choice. I would say GO FOR IT.

What are you going to be using it for? If it's for the thwarting of the presence of my old friend/foe Murphy, I have found he will either lose the batteries or drain the power from all battery powered devices, when you are not looking. If it is just for fun and games, go for it and good luck. That is my way of saying I never trust my life to any battery powered device out in the boonies, Murphy always hangs out there waiting for me.

Mossberg only makes the muzzleloader barrel for their 12 gauge. I wish they made one for the 20. When I called them a couple of years or so ago, they told me they did not have plans to start making one.

First question, why would you want to? Talk to a gunsmith. I suppose it could be done, but I don't know how safe it would be. I would be reluctant to try it.

I will second dropjhook, thank you for your service to our country. As far as the hunter ed class, some states exempt military personnel as they figure who knows more about safe weapons handling than the guys in the military. But to be sure, contact your state's controlling authority over wildlife. In Oklahoma, its called the Wildlife Department, Nebraska it's the Game and Parks Commission. So contact them and they can usually give you all the information that you need. Again, thanks for your service. My prayer for you is that you will stay safe and be able to return and enjoy many years of hunting.

I, for one, would be reluctant to use a caliber as small as a .243 for any animal which, when injured could become irritated, and therefore, dangerous. Shot placement is always key, but my old friend Mr Murphy will do his best to make sure that the all important shot will be off just a little bit. Can a .243 kill a bear. In a perfect world, yes. But, we do not live in a perfect world and stuff happens. If you are hunting bear, you need a bigger gun. I'm not sure I would trust a 7mm mag except at close range. You need a caliber that at the very least starts with .3 and it would be good if it has mag somewhere behind it, like .300 win mag or .338 mag. You want as much energy as you can when you are hunting a potentially dangerous animal like bear. Even black bears when irritated can hurt you really bad. You need to kill him, not tick him off.

Any revolver loaded with CCI shotshells should work. I have some in .22, .44Mag, and .45 ACP. The .45 ACP do not cycle in my 1911 so if I decide to use them, I have to manually load each one. That's why I still have them, they're way too much work. The .22 shotshell will cycle in my 1911 with the Ciener .22 conversion slide and they work very well on snakes that have come to an area they were not desired.

Hm, virtually indistinguishable to the Revolver Hunter. Make you wonder how the guys who bought the more expensive knife at$120 will feel about the guy who gets a knife that is virtually indistinguishable for $40. For me, I would be unhappy.

As someone who has some experience in leading and training Search And Rescue (SAR) teams in the Army, (Ok, it was 30 plus years ago and under harshert circumstances than your average hunter will find himself in today, as they're probably not trying to avoid being found by others) I believe it is important to carry certain essentials into the field every time you go. The above mentioned ways do work but require diligent practice prior to the actual need of the skill. If you are not proficient with those skills you will be found by a SAR team, usually too late. If you find yourself in a survival situation, the skills you need have to be almost reflex, already so ingrained that it is second nature, you do them without thinking about it. Another factor not taken into in using the above methods, is are you injured? If you have any kind of upper extremity injury which will hamper your freedom of movement using any method which requires exertion may be impossible. Back 30 years plus, in the military survival training we were taught, and wisely so, to conserve our energy. Go with the method that requires the least expenditure of energy. When I go into the field, depending on where I am going, I carry 3-5 ways to start a fire. (I seldom carry matches or a lighter.)Most involve some kind of flint and steel. There are so many products on the market that are good. Just look around, Strike Force,Blast match, the magnesium fire bar,too many to mention them all. I also carry several starter materials that will work as tinder, e.g. dryer lint stored in a zip lock bag or 35 mm film canister, 0000 steel wool sealed in a ziplock bag. You can make fire starters with paraffin melted over either cotton or dryer lint in a cardboard egg carton and cut apart and dipped into the melted wax. Cotton balls and vaseline in a 35 mm canister also work. OOOO Steel wool, dryer lint both take a spark easily and with a paraffin starter will burn 5-10 minutes, long enough to slowly add more dry wood to it. The key is to practice with them and become proficient before you find yourself in the situation. I have never used a match to light my fireplace. I practice with all of my tools so it is as natural as breathing, I don't have to think about it. I have been in several situations that people I know considered the circumstances to be, shall we say, dire. I weathered them rather well and without a great deal of discomfort mostly due to good training, thank you US Army, and preparation on my part, physically and mentally. The worst thing you can do is to be out there and realize you have head knowledge but no real clue as how it really is supposed to work because you've never actually done it. People in that situation are called statistics. They also provide good stories for people who do SAR to use as examples of what not to do. Because of my background,(I am a retired Emergency Department RN, 35 years experience in large busy metropolitan ER's) I have seen more dead people who were dead because of 1. Poor planning, 2. Carelessness, 3. Stupidity or 4.Just plain bad luck. You almost always get number 4 when you have any of the first 3. Don't be a statistic

It's always going to be a personal preference thing. I prefer OL over F&S,cuz I don't perceive OL to be as stuffy as F&S. I could be wrong, but that is my perception.

Nail polish has been used for chigger bites, For tick bites keep it clean, cover it with a dry sterile,(at least clean) dressing. If you have a tick bite, and experience any fever, nausea, rash or other symptoms, it is very important to see a doctor. Most tick borne illnesses are easily treated with antibiotics and can prevent serious complications.

I agree with bigjake, "as long as it was a safe, ethical shot." That being said, I would take the one that was the easiest shot to take to insure that I could take it down with one trigger squeeze.

Another question: Do Burmese pythons taste like alligator or rattlesnake? Just a thought. That might be worth going down there to get one to find out, or not, but fun to think about.

I have both a .270 and a .30-06. I have killed deer and elk with my .270 mostly because, thanks to Jim Carmichael's article written, oh maybe 20-25 years ago,(I know I had hair when I read it) I have my gun zeroed in to shoot 2.75 inches high at 100 yds. At 174 yds I am at 3" above line of sight and dead on around 245-249 yds. When it get out to 296 yds I hit 3" below line of sight. That is pretty much 300 yards with a point blank 6" window. I am shooting 150 gr Hornady with a muzzle velocity 3000 to 3100 fps. You can't do that with a 30-06 because it loses too much energy too fast and with its trajectory you will be lucky to get out to 250 yds with the 6" window. So I shoot .270. I know lots of people who love their .30-06 and God bless them. We each have what we love and we can all get along.

Hope you have a range finder. .30-06 is not the flattest shooting shooting gun you can use for woodchucks. I would use the lightest, fastest round you can fine. For example Remington Express, 125 grain Pointed Soft Point has a MV of 3140 fps. If you zero your gun at 200 yds, you will have +1.5" at 100 yds, 1.4" at 150 yds, your drop will be -2.8" at 250 yds,-7.4" at 300yds,-22.4" at 400yds, and about -47.6" at 500 yds. Those are Remington's numbers. Federal Premium Power-Shok,125gr Soft points are pretty much the same, except they show a 48" drop at 500 yds. Somewhere, I'm not sure exactly where, I have software that I can plug all the numbers, MV etc and figure out where my best 6" point blank window is, that is to say, when my bullet reaches 3" above line of sight and when it is 3" below line of sight. Since you're shooting a much smaller target than I would use a .30-06 for, that kind of throws a kink in what size point blank window you use and you'll probably need to make a chart to keep on your sleeve to refer to, to know how much elevation you need, above or below your crosshairs, to put the bullet exactly on your target. That's where a range finder would be really helpful.

I am not sure what you really want. I know of no definitive resource for finding out all of the possible pathogens out there. Because they are everywhere. Some individual and cultural resistance plays a part in who contracts certain maladies related to individual pathogenic sources. Elk pellets can contain Cryptosporidium, mouse droppings can contain the Hantavirus and then drinking contaminated water can cause a variety of ailments, Giardiasis, Typhoid fever (which is actually Salmonella Typhi, there are at least 2,000 different types of salmonella bacteria) Campylobacter, Shigella and that is just the tip of the iceberg on water contamination. Eating uncooked food is probably responsible for a huge variety of gastrointestinal ailments. Salmonella, campylobacter, tularemia, trichinosis, are those that come to mind without doing a search online. Eating insects without cooking them can give you a fatal problem if it is done in the wild in a perceived survival situation, as are fish and some mollusks. Most of these problems can be avoided just by hand washing, boiling all water prior to consumption, and cooking everything you eat until it is done. In the wild is not the time for the Rare steak. (I admit it, I am notorious for eating my meat less than well done. I even eat my venison medium rare.) Eating meat out there that is not fully cooked can have and has for many people had fatal consequences.

Depends on what it will be used for. I like starting some on out with a small shotgun, the projectile has a much closer range and it is very useful in teaching gun safety. A .410 shotgun is a good beginner squirrel gun, but then so is a .22, and the .22 has longer range for rabbit. It all depends on the beginning hunter. Some kids I would NOT let use a .22 until I was absolutely sure they would be not let a round fly into the next county and kill some pet or otherwise damage something. If it's a bigger kid a 20ga might work. Then you can take in quail and pheasant (one of my favorites), put a slug barrel on it and you have a good short range gun for deer. Longer range deer hunting you can start with a .223 (I'm not a big fan) or .243 (that's better than a .223 IMO) A lot of the things, I think, that determine the utility of the equipment is the terrain it will be used. Guns in the Tennessee-Kentucky woods might not work in Western Nebraska all the way down into Texas. Where are you living and in what kind of terrain? That may help to put the right gun for your needs.

The guy on whose land I hunt is rather well to do and really doesn't care for venison. But he is interested in learning to hunt. I take him hunting, on his own property and show him how to do it. He has a long way to go, but if I keep it up, I think one day I'll be able to paraphrase Sir 'enry 'iggins and say "By jove, I think 'e's got it."

some places you can go to are http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ItemListing.aspx?catid=528 or http://www.midwayusa.com/BROWSE/BrowseProducts.aspx?pageNum=1&tabId=3&categoryId=7647&categoryString=653***690*** Unfortunately it's gonna be expensive for that caliber.

If it's for mosquitoes, I don't use any kind of spray. I take Vitamin B1 or Thiamine Hydrochloride. It's water soluble and is excreted in your urine and sweat. Mosquitoes don't like it and generally leave me alone. A 250 mg tablet once in the morning and evening gives me good protection. I have never gotten a skeeter bite when I have taken it. It stays in your system 10-12 hours for me. If your urine smells like vitamins you're on track. I highly recommend this for any outdoorsman. And it's pretty cheap at WalMart.

I am not aware of any state that requires tagging squirrels. Check with your state wildlife department as to license requirements to be sure. Most states I have been in do not require a hunting license for hunters under 16. Check with your state authorities. If you don't know how to find it, google "hunting in your state"

What else are you putting in your pack?

Big O, are you talking about HR 45 Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009? For anyone interested, you can read more at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h45/show. This website states "OpenCongress Summary: The Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act would establish a nationwide system for prohibiting unlicensed gun-ownership. If approved, the law would require gun owners to apply for five-year licenses to own firearms, and would give the U.S. Attorney General broad authority over the program. There are no co-sponsors to the bill, and there is very little chance it will be adopted." So if that is true, there are people who would like to remove the Second Amendment or regulate it out of existence. Isn't that a surprise, NOT!! What do you want to bet the people who would sponsor this all have a big D beside their names? But the thing that should scare every American citizen who truly loves this country is H.J.Res.5 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President. This is an out and out attempt to make Obama president for life. Think it can't happen? The only way Kennedy became president was Illinois tipped the electoral college to him. There were thousands of dead people who voted in that election. Corruption in Chicago, tell me it isn't so, Joe. With groups like ACORN organizing "communities", the corruption will be unlike anything seen previously in American History. The only thing that could we could hope for is the Second Coming.

Go to http://www.hornady.com/. If you can't find the answer there, try calling them. I have found them to be very helpful in the past.

Check with your state authority, be it wildlife department, Game and Parks Commission, whatever it is called in your state. They will have the answer, each state has its own rules.

Nater, you are 100% correct on shot placement, it's far more important than having a big gun. Big gun helps, but if you hit a vital area, it's the same as a miss.

Don't know how much money you have to spend, but one avenue might be a place like Hastings Barrels. (http://hastingsbarrels.com/12para.html) I have never used their stuff, but I have seen ads for them all over, also places like Cabela's sell replacement barrels.

I see that they are closing their Ky operation and moving to Ohio.see http://fw.ky.gov/newsrelease.asp?nid=512 It is sad when someone gets so focused on the taking of the deer that they lose all sense of right and wrong and this sounds like there was plenty of wrong. There are few things I enjoy more than hunting deer, but it is always following the laws of the state in which I am hunting. In some states they would have, in addition to the fines, lost all hunting privileges for 3-5 years and rightly so. Hopefully they learned their lesson and will not repeat this behavior again. I hope they're not moving to Ohio just to keep up their illegal operations.

I second 6phunter.

On a legal one, good luck! I don't know anyone who has seen such a critter in several years. The prices of just about all long guns with any military caliber have pretty much gone through the roof. I bought my M1 Garand for $100 plus or minus, years ago and the last one I saw at a gun show, wasn't as well taken care of as mine and they wanted $900 plus. M1 carbines used to be almost throwaways in pawn shops back in the 70's, well under $100, with ammo. I saw one at a gun show recently for, I want to say, $700. I wished I'd bought a bunch of them 30 years ago, I could make a fortune. As far as AR's, I haven't even been looking at them in gun shows anymore, they're too rich for my wallet.

I have an old Remington 721 in .270 that will print a sub MOA group if I take the time to do it. I have killed deer and elk with it. Many years ago I had a Winchester .30-30. Was glad when I got rid of it.

Big O, check out http://www.nfa.ca/content/view/103/197/

Jim Carmichael had an outstanding article on the use of a .30-06 in Africa as the ONLY gun he took. I found it to be a great read and over the years I have learned a great deal from the man. I was sorely disappointed when he retired (he didn't ask me if he could, wait I retired in... never mind) The article can be found at http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/gear/2007/09/3006-africa.

According to Leonard Lee Rue III, & Leonard Lee Rue in the book "The Deer of North America" on page 159, Carl Lenandor killed a 402# Whitetail (dressed) in 1926 near Tofte, MN with a live weight estimated to be 511# That record was matched in 1981 by George Himango who tagged a whitetail the same size also in Minnesota on the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation. On page 162, the same book states the largest mule deer on record was killed in 1938 By Laurence Rowe near Ellens Park, CO and field dressed a weight of 410 #which gives an estimated live weight of 522.75 # the second place mule deer was killed by O.I. Ranch from Long Beach California near Meeker, CO with field dressed weight of 360# with an estimated live weight of 459#. The year is not given. Until I began looking for this specific data, I had been under the impression that Maine held the record at over 600#, I don't even know who told me that. Now this book was printed in 1997, so if anything has changed since then, I don't have info regarding that. Hope this helps.

I am partial to the Mossberg 500. You can buy a muzzleloading barrel for it, if the need should arise, also a rifled slug barrel with cantilevered scope bar, if you get it in 12 gauge. Also has interchangeable chokes. At Wal-Mart they were around $200 at the beginning of the year. Since it is a pump, I can cycle it faster than some auto-loaders, and it will last a lifetime.

I've seen some pretty good sized ones, the biggest was one that was in a 5 gallon bucket. Wasn't about to let it loose to measure it. Guy got bit but wasn't sure what kind of snake it was. Don't know how he got it in the bucket but it was huge for a copperhead, which is, I might add, a very beautiful snake, and edible. Guy did okay as there was minimal envenomation, if any. Copperheads also make great hat bands, I like copperhead skins more than rattlers.

If you're wanting just basic info, do a google search on it. You'll find sights like http://www.firearmsfirst.com/?p=19 http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/f/sw1500riflefaq.htm and others.

6phunter, The game is mine only when it jumps the fence onto the property that I'm hunting on and I can get a legal shot on it. That being said, I primarily hunt deer. Last season, all I saw were deer on the other side of the fence, so I have an empty freezer this summer. Never took my rifle off safety and never cocked my .44. I know some people who have shot across the fence and drug it to their side but I never have. When I bird hunt, (pheasant mostly) I try to be sure that I am only on property that I have permission to hunt or on public land. I am not all that wild about public land because I have been shot at on public land. It was usually an "accident" but once it was a guy who made a sound shot because he couldn't see me and thought I might be a deer. That was the closest I have come since leaving the Army to shooting another human being and it was tempting, but I didn't. The game is only mine when I take it legally, in my mind and from the property I have permission to hunt.

Some great resources are "Tom Brown's Guide to wild Edible and Medicinal Plants" by Tom Brown, Peterson field Guides edition of "Edible Wild Plants" "Wild Cards Edible Wild Foods", "Edible and Poisonous Plants of the Eastern (or Western) States. (I also have in my collection "Survival Cards for South East Asia, dated 1968, that I picked up in the Army back in the early 70's, but that probably wont help anyone in the US.) Do a search on Amazon for wild foods or foraging.You can find a lot with just a little effort.

That is SO much a personal preference thing, I can't begin to tell you. I own very little Bass Pro stuff. There is a Bass Pro relatively close to me, but I have found their selection in guns and ammo to not meet the needs I have. I called there once to ask if they had the Hornady 200 gr XTP in .44 mag and the guy looked around and came back, told me they didn't have any .44 magnum. I told him he had to be wrong, he said "no, we only have .44 Remington Magnum" I hung up as I do not suffer fools lightly. Most of my hunting gear was purchased from Cabela's, usually when the stuff was on end of season clearance. (OK, I'm cheap. I hate paying full price for stuff when I know if I wait, it'll be on sale.) I have a down vest from Cabela's that I have worn every winter for more than 20 years along with several shirts. It;s all high quality stuff. When I get the opportunity, I go to Cabela's. It's quite a trip for me but one I consider to be worth it. My wife has referred to it as a toy store for men. I have been to several of them and all of them are great. The one in Kearney, NE could be better but all of them are... Toy stores for outdoorsmen. Gotta love it.

Isn't this question kind of like asking who's got the prettiest wife or girlfriend? (hopefully that is just or and not and/or, cause if one of 'em finds out, there is usually hell to pay.) It seems to me to be a matter of preference and personal responsibility. I know at least one person who has wounded far more deer than he has killed with a bow. But he hasn't figured it put yet. I think if you are responsible, you should be able to select the means that most affords you an opportunity to hunt, but that's just my opinion.

Nothing but an address not found-- did not match any documents

There is nothing there other than a -did not match any documents. notation

Klean Killer Pigeon Guns were made by the W.H. Davenport Arms Company who were US gunmakers from 1891 to 1910. See http://www.gabelguns.com/QuestionsAndAnswers/ViewQuestion.asp?QuestionNumber=2955 that was my source.

Squirrel hunting is a good time to go scouting for deer. In OK the season is May 15 to January 31 so there is plenty of opportunity to be out scouting.The more you are out when the deer don't feel pressured, they may not be as alarmed when you get ready for deer season, at least in my experience.

I don't know of any state that tallies that, as most don't even keep track of longbow versus compound, It all falls under archery, i Believe, in most states.

One thing you might consider is snake bite chaps over boots. Cabela's has some on sale at http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0014900942479a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Product_liberal&QueryText=snakebite+chaps&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1 Use of the Sawyer snake bite kit is controversial, with some studies showing no benefit and others indicating only use in the first 3 minutes will benefit. As far as snakebite kits, I am not a big fan. As a retired ER RN, I have seen the use of snakebite kits cause as much if not more damage to the patient than the original injury. That is not to say that the bites can't be serious, they can be and people can lose life and/or limb. In the ER, treatment is usually based on the degree of envenomation. I have given anti-venom 3 times in about 35 years. Two of those patients ended up in the ICU secondary to an anaphylactic reaction to the anti-venom. Your best treatment is avoidance and from there: No.1. Remove the victim from close proximity to the snake No.2. Keep the victim calm and as inactive as possible. No.3. Remove any rings, watches, clothing from the affected extremity. No.4. Do not incise the wound or use electrical shocks to the wound. No.5. Do not suck on the wound, that may lead to increased chance of infection. No.6. Cool compresses applied to the area. DO NOT USE ICE!!! No.6. Use of an Aussie wrap has been beneficial. No.7. Splinting the extremity maintaining the extremity at the level of the heart is very important. DO NOT ELEVATE THE AFFECTED EXTREMITY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HEART!!! see http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/snakes/snake-bites.asp. This essentially the same info I just gave.

I breezed through Ft Knox in the early 70's, spent more time at Ft Campbell, home of the 101st Airborne, and 5th Special Forces. Were I given an opportunity to hunt either one I would take it. It's been a long time since I was there but I seem to remember a lot of guys talking about the deer back then. If I could get permission, I'd go in a heartbeat.

Glorifiedmidget, Thank you for your service to our country. We all are deeply in your debt, whether we acknowledge it or not.

Probably not much, he was a Lefty Lib who will be replaced by another Lefty Lib.

Neither state list grizzlies on their website as having a hunting season for them, so it would appear the answer is No.

There is a long history to this. These people have an unrealistic view of the world. They believe that if they were in charge the world would be a better place. That's the change they thought they were voting for. They have blinded themselves to the reality that gun control is directly correlated to an increase in crime. They refuse to accept that fact. They want to believe if there were no guns everyone would be nice to everyone else. For those who don't fall into the stupidly naive pollyanna types, they want to get rid of our guns for the same reason that Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini got rid of guns in their countries, an armed populace can rise up and overthrow an oppressive government by force. If youread world history you will see that every oppressive government, in some form, outlawed all forms of weaponry that could be used against the ruling forces. The Greeks, Romans, Medo-Persians, they all had a vested interest in keeping rebellion down. The best way to do that is to keep the subjugated population from being able to have a hope of throwing off the onerous rule of the government de jour. Even in the Bible, the Philistines would not allow the Israelites to own weapons and had to go to the Philistine blacksmiths to get their sickles used to harvest grain sharpened. Those who would rule over a people have reason to fear the guns owned by the people. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution To a liberal these are the scariest words ever written.

Dittos to what's been said. If you keep them, they will become family heirlooms that can be passed on to future generations. I have a shotgun that my grandfather (FarFar) bought new in 1906. There is family history in that gun. The guns you have also have family history, that any buyer will never know or truly appreciate. There will be no regret to pass those on, but a high probability of regret if you sell them and don't have them later.

Yoda, I answered some of this on the message board, If you have any questions, you can reach me at bjsundling@gmail.com

I have found them around trees, (pecan trees, in particular, why I don't know, they weren't in season) where the branches hung down to where the deer might bump into them with their antlers and knock them off if they're loose.

I have killed deer at what seems like all hours of the day, most have been in the morning or the evening, but I have found that anytime someone makes a hard and fast statement, the deer will confound you just to show you how much we don't know. I have seen and killed several reasonable bucks a couple of hours either side of noon. So, even though the best and biggest I killed at either early in the morning (7:15am or so) or 5:30pm. Sometimes you just have to spend all day out there in order to see them moving. There is no wrong answer, because different things make the deer act differently. Whatever you do that gets you a deer is right(as long as you do it legally) but be willing to try different strategies. Nobody knows everything there is to know about deer hunting because they may act unpredictably at times.

Before you switch research the cost of ammo. If you handload, that will not be that much of an issue. If you don't, that particular caliber can get very pricey. If you plan on elk hunting, you need to be aware that some states do not (or did not) allow that caliber or anything less than .270 for elk. If cost is not an issue, good luck, hope you find out the info on that gun that you need.

Travis, I don't bowhunt anymore, but when I did, there were several bowhunting clubs around my area, and even the state wildlife department where I was living at the time, would put on classes for those who were interested, and that one would count as a hunter safety course. There are also magazines like Bowhunter, etc. Lots of resources. Good luck, and I hope you get as much enjoyment as possible with one more opportunity to be in the great outdoors.

dcernick and rrmont, nailed it, in my mind. If you see one that you think you want, go for it. If you want to wait, do what you think is right. Hunting is the thing that drives many of us, why we do it may be different for each of us. But what you shoot is your personal preference, don't let anyone tell you how you are going to hunt when it's you doing it (legally) and the other guy doesn't have to live your life living by his decisions. We have too many people trying to run our lives as it is.

If that doesn't get it for you try http://www.brownells.com. They have lots of parts and stuff for all sorts of makes of guns, too

I have never used it for blood tracking(I have been extremely fortunate in that respect), but I do use a little headlamp by Energizer, has 4 white LEDs and 2 red ones, with three different configurations for the white light. I picked it up at Walmart for about $15. There again, I can't say about how good it is for blood tracking, but it's what I have used to get to my stand in the mornings and for that it is great. Good luck on your search.

I would start with a 20 gauge. It doesn't kick nearly as much and he'll be far less likely to develop a flinch, or worse, complete fear of shooting. It kind of makes a difference how big he is but a 20 is much easier on any shooter than a 12. I can go through 2 boxes of shells and move the next day with a 20, With a 12, after one box, I know I will pay the next day. Hate getting old, though getting old is better than the alternative :).

I'm all for the .270. It is flatter shooting than a .30-06 and can shoot a cartridge from 130 grain to 150 grain with MV up to 3000fps or more. I have killed deer and elk with my .270 and at distances longer than I could have with my .30-06. I don't need a rangefinder to figure out my drop. I can have a 6" point blank window out to 300 yds plus or minus, when I have it sighted in at 2.75" high at 100 yds. I don't have to change my scope settings, just put my crosshairs where I want it and it will be no more than 3" above or below that spot. I use Hornady 140 GR BTSP LIGHT MAGNUMs, MV is 3100 fps. I have never had anything run more than 60 yds and have had most of them "one shot drop right there." For elk I use Hornady's 150 gr SP and it has shown itself to be very effective. But I have to run different numbers for my 6" window. I don't have those handy right now.

I wouldn't worry about it if Hornady says it is right. One thing, if you have a friend with a chronograph, you might want to get an accurate determination of your Muzzle Velocity. With that information, you can more accurately determine your trajectory and probably increase your probability of successful contact with your target. The faster your bullet at muzzle will likely give you a flatter trajectory. Good luck.

The best thing about this vehicle was to change the oil, you just tipped it over, which it did easily by taking a corner too fast. Check with Consumer Reports, this vehicle was not very safe on the road, let alone taking it anywhere off road.

You can't go wrong with a Ruger 10/22.

The point of the picture is that you won't be able to find them. Spec-Ops takes everything most people take as gospel about camouflage and goes to a much higher level. They live or die by their ability to not be found by the bad guys. Any bad guy that goes by that swamp will not know who's waiting there until he's knocking on the pearly gates and told there's NO VACANCY for them up yonder. 'Course, then it's TOO late Mahmood! Sorry for being SO politically INCORRECT, well maybe not.

Welcome to the world of hunting and outdoor sporting life, or as I have referred to it for many years, "The Real World" the one unseen by way too many people. There are many websites but some that will help you get your feet wet are http://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/ScoringYourTrophy.asp?area=bgRecords, http://www.buckmanager.com/2008/01/14/scoring-white-tailed-deer-using-boone-crockett-method/ and http://dto.com/pdf/hunting/boonCrockett/wttpsc.pdf

I have a problem using a .30-30 on bear. I admit that I am not a fan of that caliber. I have seen multiple deer which when wounded by a poorly placed shot, fled to die a slow death, to be discovered several days later when the meat could not be salvaged. Bears are a bit more dangerous and the last thing you want to do is just irritate him. When the brown stuff hits the fan, particularly with a bear you got to have enough gun to stop the argument in as short time as possible.If you are charged by a bear, you will have a very hard time making a well placed shot. If you doubt this, ask any cop who has been in a shooting, or any veteran with combat time. First time is hardest and usually when you find out whether you have the right training. Studies of Police shootings over many years have been able to eliminate many of the bad habits the police trainers had not identified prior to the incidents. Same with the military, The training given to the current crop of GI's is very different than what guys of my vintage received.

Does it cause problems if you load just one round as you shoot it? In other words, Can you shoot it as a single shot without problems? If that is okay, I would look to see if there is something that is catching the rounds as they are being loaded into the magazine or when the rounds are feeding into the chamber? If you can't see any problems, but it still continues, I'd take it to a gunsmith.

I have used a 20 gauge Mossberg, with the rifled barrel and a red dot sight slapped on it. Depending on the round you get, it should be good out to maybe 100 yards. The advantage of a 20 gauge is you can shoot a lot more and get used to it without being so sore you get afraid to shoot.

I have a 20 gauge Mossberg that I taken a bunch of pheasant with using #4 or #6 shot. I use the improved cylinder choke and it has been known to reach out and touch the birds.

Go to http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/05rim_centerf.htm for a diagram that demonstrates the difference.

Is that a rhetorical question?

It will be different depending on who is holding the gun. You have a fixed size object that will be at different length depending on how you hold the gun. Different people will hold the gun differently and maybe a little further forward or back. For example, if you hold you hand at arms length and use your thumb to blot out, say a car. If you move your hand closer to you, you may blot out 2-3 cars. There is no way to predict how much it will cover without very precise measurements as to how you hold the gun and if you hold it exactly the same every time. That being said, many red dot sights are 4 MOA (minute of angle). (A minute of angle is 1" at 100yds. Some people try to dispute this and say that is not exact, demonstrating a very discouraging lack of geometric education. If you have a equilateral triangle of 100 yds on all sides, there are 3600 inches on each side of that triangle. An equilateral triangle has each corner set at 60 degrees.3600 divided by the 60 degrees brings it down to 60 inches in one degree at 100 yards. There are 60 minutes in one degree. 60 inches divided by 60 minutes are exactly one minute of angle at 100 yds)Sorry for the digression, but that is a pet peeve of mine. A red dot sight with a 4 MOA dot will cover a 4"circle at 100 yds, 8" at 200, etc. It doesn't sound like a lot until you figure, with a decent gun and scope you have a lot better for marksmanship score than 4" margin of error. I have a rifle that I have put 3 rounds, covered with a nickel, no hole showing at 100 yds. If you have a large bead sight at the muzzle it will make it harder to get good, tight groups, but the smaller it is the easier it can be damaged. If it gets knocked off or bent, it is worthless. and so is your gun until you can get a scope on it.

What is your target? Any bow that will deliver your arrow to the target with accuracy is adequate. But, if you are hunting deer, check your state requirements, that will be the minimum. A lot of states state 40# is the minimum for deer, or at least it was when I was bowhunting. I preferred a 60# Ben Pearson compound back then, with a 29" draw. But I know several people who have harvested deer with a 40# bow without problems. If this isn't what you are looking for then I don't understand your question.

It depends on where you're going to be fishing. In Alaska your kit will be different that in La or MI

Easiest way, go to a gunsmith and ask him, he may or may not charge you depending on the guy and the kind of day he's having, etc. If that doesn't work, (keep in mind this next may not work) No. 1, unload the gun, keep the weapon pointed to the sky. No. 2, if you have a small spring action scale (like a small fishing scale), put one end over the trigger. While pulling on the other end slowly, have someone else look at the weight that the scale reads when it breaks. Even then you will have only a reasonable proximity of the weight of your trigger. Be careful don't scratch your gun. Obey all known safety rules regarding the handling of firearms.

You will get better accuracy with slug barrel, BUT you can also lead it up which is not as easy to clean. Probably 30 years or so ago, I kept mercury,(yeah I know it's toxic to the environment, but back then it was not a big deal) to get the lead out of my gun barrels. (You can't do that now. I think if you even have pure mercury you can get in some kind of trouble with either the feds or the local Haz-Mat people.) It's just harder to clean your barrel now when you use rifled slugs. If you don't get it scoured completely out, you lose accuracy. That's why, if you sabots, you get no leading, cuz the lead slug doesn't touch the barrel, just the plastic does and it should clean out pretty easily. Another advantage of the sabots is if they are lighter than the regular slug, you get a higher muzzle velocity. Higher muzzle velocity translates to a flatter trajectory. Flatter trajectory, all things being equal, translates to greater accuracy, which should mean more meat in the freezer. I have tried shooting slugs out of a non-rifled barrel. The accuracy that I obtained was only at point blank range,to say "marginal" is being kind, anything beyond 30 meters was a gift if I hit it. Whereas with the rifled barrel shooting rifled slugs, I could chew a paper plate up at 100 yds consistently, No MOA stuff, but good enough for 100 yds or less to kill anything that needed to be killed. and that was using a 20 ga Mossberg pump.

Bruce, you are dead on right.

That gun should do it, But it wouldn't hurt to have a backup, in case you put your rifle down to take a leak, etc. and realize you have become the prey I almost always carry a Smith 629 Classic Hunter when hunting or tromping around in less than urban areas. I use a shoulder holster so it won't be flapping around and beating my hip to a pulp. It's also easier to acquire a target quickly in those, shall we say, adrenaline-charged moments that you need adequate firepower,so you can go home and clean your drawers.

Look in the instruction manual for your machine. If it's not in there contact the manufacturer. They will be your best resource. Always look to the maker for questions like that.