There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot. - Steven Wright

I have no new pictures since my computer stopped uploading them for some unknown reason. This is also my reason for no posts. Pretty lame, I know Joe. We got several deer the last couple of days in the northern zone on our property in Providence with the muzzleloaders. I shot four times and got a small doe and a spike horn. Tom got a real big doe also. Jake(Tom's son) was with him and worked the bleat call between shots and was instrumental in getting the big doe to stay awhile. He thinks he got it on the second shot! I had a good time up at our cabin for three days as I had Friday off and stayed in there. Nice and quiet.
Previously to this John got a spike horn up the road with the gang of nieghbors and friends who do drives mostly. Tom got a doe on a doe permit opening day down south.
I had my usual three weeks off and spent time in Letchworth (enjoying the Rebisz hospitality) and up at the Speculator camp. In Speculator I shot one coyote while on watch and wounded another as it chased a huge doe right by me the next day in the same area. Probably three feet or less, I could feel the wind from the deer as it went by. I was hoping that it was a buck doing the chasing but it was a coyote. I saw few deer and I think the coyotes were harassing them alot as I saw as many deer track as coyote track with little room between them. I saw a fisher and a pine marten while deer hunting. I saw two other fishers in my traps as I caught two of them, one in Broadalbin and one and Speculator. I shot eighteen geese and a dozen or so ducks. I wish it didn't have to end.
Joe that story about the ten point across the river is the best!! I think all of us should go swimming while hunting once in a while. Reminds me of a time I dove into the swamp to retrieve Johnny's loaded double barrel shotgun. Looks like that was quite a good buck too. Merry Christmas and happy new year to all.
Shaun

Finally!!! Season was SLOW up until this past weekend. On Saturday I went down to the river bottom in Letchworth with Stryker. Shot a nice 10 point that ran across the river and bedded on an island. I finished him off there at about 100 yards. So now I have a deer laying on an island in the middle of the raging river. What to do...Swim I guess. 20 degrees and I am stripping down and swimming across the river (ice cold....see picture of me in long johns). Did get the deer though (about 110"). Largest bodied deer I have ever shot (had to be over 200 pounds dressed). Floated across the river well though, despite the weight (haha).

Sunday I finished off someone elses wounded 8pt in my backyard on my way to my stand in the afternoon (deer was shot in the rear...wound looked about a day old, but already had a good slime and smell to it). Got in my stand at 3:30 and by 4:30 I had shot two big does and seen 12. Dragged both deer out together (check out Jocelyn's photo of my drag marks). One doe was huge (check out how much bigger she is than the 8pt.). Anyway, what an unbelievable weekend. That's the way things go when we finally get snow. Hopefully you all did as well. Check out our winter snow plow tractor (should be fun!)