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Mike Raykovicz

Mike Raykovicz: Winter prep happens long before the snow arrives

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky, New York, Opinion /

Here we go again. Winter is several months away but I feel the need to be prepared for the cold weather that’s certain to come in New York. It’s early September, and it’s hot, but there was wood to be cut, hauled out of the woods, transported, unloaded, and stacked.
I have other things to do before winter gets here. For me, September means setting trail cameras, clearing brush, scouting potential food sources, and at least one trip down south to take in one of my grandson’s college football games. August walks, September flies. 

Mike Raykovicz: Winter prep happens long before the snow arrives Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: String care is important for your bow

Blogs, Hunting, New York, Opinion /

It’s the middle of August, and the time I begin shooting my bow in earnest. I try getting out at least four times a week and send at least a dozen arrows downrange to my bag target.
A torn rotator cuff, the doctors tell me, can’t be repaired prevents any more shooting than that, but for me at least that’s enough. Last week, after one of these shooting sessions, as I placed my bow back into the truck, I noticed that the string was frayed. I was guilty of not waxing my bowstring as often as I should have, and it showed. 

Mike Raykovicz: String care is important for your bow Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: Beavers establish a home on this small man-made pond

Blogs, Featured, Nature Page & Night Sky, New York, Opinion /

When I was in high school my best friend and I trapped beavers and other furbearers in the Pocono Mountains. To find suitable trapping locations we would follow any small creeks we crossed until we discovered another creek.
We would then follow that creek a few hundred yards upstream, checking along the way for any sign of beavers. What we looked for were chewed tree branches that may have floated downstream, which told us the spot was worth checking out. As teenagers, we caught a few beavers but never got rich.

Mike Raykovicz: Beavers establish a home on this small man-made pond Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: Making me a believer in topwaters

Blogs, Featured, Fishing, National Fishing, New York, Opinion /

Growing up, my friends and I fished for just two species. In the spring, it was trout, and in the summer, it was bass. Pocono mountain streams were our go-to spots for trout with the Lehigh River, Broadhead, and Tobyhanna creeks leading the list as favorite trout fishing destinations. 
After school was out in June, the Susquehanna River was our choice destination for smallmouth bass fishing.

Mike Raykovicz: Making me a believer in topwaters Read More »

From ’chucks to bucks, handloaders have effective bullet options to choose from

Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, New York /

Every year, before the opening of deer season, thousands of hunters go to a local sporting goods store and ask for a box of ammunition, but buyers are limited to the types of bullets sellers have on hand.
Selecting the right bullet for the game being hunted is critical because bullet design affects everything from penetration to accuracy. Rather than buying my ammunition, I reload a variety of bullets, making my Sako rifle suitable for any game from woodchucks to deer.

From ’chucks to bucks, handloaders have effective bullet options to choose from Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: Study sheds light on who is using crossbows

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, National Hunting, New York, Opinion /

There is little doubt that the use of crossbows for hunting deer and other game is here to stay. Many hunters find crossbows work well, especially for those of advanced age, limited mobility, disabilities, or injuries.
Responsive Management, a survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues, and The Archery Trade Association (ATA) joined forces and initiated a survey to discover who exactly makes up the majority of crossbow hunters nationwide.

Mike Raykovicz: Study sheds light on who is using crossbows Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: Times have changed when it comes to gear for turkey hunting

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, New York, Opinion /

I started hunting spring turkeys almost 60 years ago, and the only thing I knew about calling turkeys was printed on the side of my Lynch Model 101 box call. 
“It’s foolproof,” the box said. “It’s set for the yelp, putt, whine and cackle,” the message advised. 

Mike Raykovicz: Times have changed when it comes to gear for turkey hunting Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: Examining the evolution of turkey ammunition

Blogs, Featured, Gear & Gadgets, Hunting, National Hunting, New York, Opinion /

I was rooting around the cabinet where I store some of my hunting equipment and discovered boxes of rifled slugs and turkey loads. The sabot rifle slugs are leftovers from the day when only shotguns were legal for hunting deer in the Southern Tier of New York; the turkey loads are another story.
As a long-time turkey hunter, I’m always on the lookout for ways to increase my success, and the evolution of loads specifically designed for hunting turkeys rank at the top of my list.

Mike Raykovicz: Examining the evolution of turkey ammunition Read More »

Mike Raykovicz: Are toms gobbling less than they did years ago?

Blogs, Hunting, Hunting, New York, Opinion, Opinion, Pennsylvania /

I’ve hunted spring turkeys in New York and Pennsylvania ever since there was a season.
Pennsylvania’s first spring gobbler hunting season was held in 1968 and it was a short one. It ran from May 6 to May 11, following a period where the state’s wild turkey population had recovered enough to support a spring hunt. New York State’s first spring turkey season was held a year or two later in Southern Tier counties and it was introduced after the state’s turkey population was restored.

Mike Raykovicz: Are toms gobbling less than they did years ago? Read More »

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