Well, I made it to West Point. What a trip. I was hard seeing the beautiful Colorado Mountains in my rear view, but off to better things Uncle Sam says. I had a series of unfortunate events along the way, but we are finally in our new home minus our household goods, and short one good friend.
Along the way from Colorado, I had to put down Domino; our 12 year old Boston terrier while in Missouri. My wife and I were crushed. It made for a solemn trip. My other terrier of 3 years also had a gloomy state about her since loosing her friend. She suffered from cancer and heart failure and it worsened on the trip to the point that we had no choice. With my wife expecting our first child in June, this was a great lose since having to separate from all her friends in Colorado. Domino has been with us through many moves and with my wife through countless deployments to Iraq. We will miss her dearly....
We are now somewhat settled in our new home in Garrison, NY which is just across the Hudson river from the West Point Military Academy where I will be working. What a beautiful spot it is. We are renting a home on a secluded 50 acres up on a hill side. There is a amazing view of the river, and you can just make out the lights of the empire state building at night. The road my house was built on is a old revolutionary road. This place is littered with amazing history, and I look forward to exploring it all. The owners say that there is a coyote problem, and I'm welcome to take care of it by any means.
We are awaiting our household goods shipment which should be here in about 10 days. Meanwhile its a air mattress which is doing wonders on our backs...... two camping chairs, a VERY weak internet signal and dinner by flash light. Its the same song for a few weeks every time we move. I enjoy the simplicity of it, as it allows my wife and I to get a little closer.
I wouldn't let the movers handle my bows, so along they came. Now as I'm sitting here with much time on my hand, I'm getting the itch to roam about the property. I would really like to make it to a local trad shop, but I'm having a difficult time getting used to the roads in this area.
Any of you NY trad guys can point me in the right direction? What are the closest shops to me?
I look forward to meeting you great hunters of the East.
Casey
Welcome to NY. Sorry the move has been tough, but I think you will find atleast a few trad guys around you.
Joe Skipp has a trad shop, but you may have to PM him for directions and hours. Im not sure of others, as Im north of you a bit.
Hope to see you at the JLMBH. Oh and if you are into fishing, the stripers will be running in late April, early May. Good times on the river.
Casey try and plan to attend Denton Hill this summer. You are not that far away and there are a bunch of trad shoots in PA. Glad you made it safe, tom massaro
Welcome to New York, That being said its to bad you had to leave the west. The trad archers are around but you have to look for us. This is a great place to do that. Joe Skipp is north of you a bit , a good guy to deal with and knows his stuff, Tollgate Archery is further north but he does mail order and is a sponser here. As I said welcome......sorry for your loss, I have lost a couple of dogs and its not an easy time!
Beautiful country you've moved to. I want to see it one day.
There should be a black bear season somewhere close to you.
John III
Thank you for your service to our country. Too many people ( none here) take for granted the challenges of a military family. Every new assignment is an adventure, and an opportunity.
Good luck to you, and again, thanks for your service.
Casey, Welcome to NY! Soory the trip was a drag!!! Please feel free to contact via a PM so we can discuss getting together for coffee! I teach at West Point as a contract instructor and have for the past 11 years. Retired USAF five years ago, so we may have some "stuff" in common!
Long live tradgang... here is to new friendship!
Cheers... Jan
Well Casey..that didn't take to long...lol!
Welcome to NY Casey!
Sorry to hear about the dog......I fully understand how attached we get to them and the toll that putting them down places on the family.
I too am a non-native NYer and have lived in CO. Let's just say the difference will be day and night. It will take some getting used to, but you will grow to enjoy the liberal hunting seasons and you happen to be generally located in a deer-rich part of the state. Not far from you in Westchester County, a bow-only county, you could basically enjoy unlimited tags as long as you are willing to tag does. Certainly is a constructive way to fill the freezer. You WILL miss the very large game.....hey, you can always travel.
Check in with Joe Skipp, who has a shop in his house not too far north of West Point. You'll find lots of like-minded trad folks in the area.
Again, welcome and enjoy your time at West Point.
Casey, Can't help you with New York, but understand how tough military moves can be. I lived in 22 different houses in my career and none of the moves were fun. I also had to put down my 13 year old Irish Setter before I moved back east one time. It's painful, but time heals most things. Enjoy the posting at Army. Maybe you can do something about their abysmal football team so you can give us a real game next year. Oh, did I say, I went to Navy. BEAT ARMY!
...sorry, I couldn't resist.
Good luck on your posting and know how very important your job is in molding the young minds of those who will be leading our soldiers into battle soon. We salute you!
Welcome to NY but as soon as you get the chance get out. I have been here all my life and it's the worst state in the union for taxes and offering nothing in return.
Check out my Bunny Hunt thread, you are more than welcome to attend!! Shawn
You moved to a great area you just have to explore. The Catskills are close and incredible. There are a lot of hunting/fishing/hiking and camping opportunities. It's different from CO. I'm sure but you'll grow to love the east. I did wen I moved from WI. It took me a while but I'm quite fond of NY.
Sorry about your Dog! That Sucks. I hope you and your wife adjust well and have a healthy little trad shooter. Joe is about 35-40 minutes North of you but sounds like it's worth the drive.
Hook into a Striped Bass this spring You'll love the river that flows both ways.
You are close to Shawn's bunny hunt (JLMBH) which is a blast if anything like his warm up hunt. There is the Muzzy shoot in the Catskills and lots of other stuff if you look. Thats the way this place is, everything is here you just have to find it.
If you are ever up this way, PM me your welcome anytime perhaps we can kill a stump.
Try to make Shawn's Bunny Hunt, It's a blast!!!!
You will enjoy hunting the eastern hardwood forests. But after dealing with the overregulation, over taxation, and predatory gov. practices, you will probably be dying to get back home or as far from "civilized" society as you can get.
freeman is right, but most of the people are great, just stay out of the big city! Shawn
Welcome to New York Zmonster. I hope you enjoy your stay here. I'm sure it will be temporary. I'll have to agree with freeman here.This state is as beautiful as any, uglied only by the people who run it. I also live on the river, maybe a 15 minute walk down the hill. There is some beautiful country here and lots of wildlife. I'm about 20 minutes south of Albany on the Thruway. If you want to get together and shoot this spring, let me know.
Someone already mentioned trying to get to Denton Hill, aka ETAR this summer. Being from the west, you likely have not had an opportunity to attend such a large or well attended trad gathering. It is a lot of fun and will afford you a chance to make a lot of new friends. Good luck settling in, welcoming the baby and with your new posting.
Zmonster,as has already been said, thank you for your service to our country. I'm sorry for your traveling situation.
There is a group of great guys in Jersey, who actually do a winter bow hunt.
If you get a hold of bentpole,campfire: he can steer you in the right direction.
Just hope your a a Lety, cause he changes bows like socks, and it would get expensive keeping up with him. :biglaugh: :
Welcome to the East Coast If you ever come to Atlantic City N.J. give me a shout.Stone Knife you must be mistaken New York for New Jersey...LOL
Sorry about losing your old friend, that's never easy. Hope you get settled in soon and congrats on the new addition.
And check in with Lemme's Archery in Albany, too!
As a "City" boy I have to disagree with someone's comment above. Very close to NYC is Suffolk Archers, a Great 3D range with a great number of Traditional shooters. There are a couple of serious Indoor ranges in Queens, one boasting a top level US Fita archer. Great hunting can be found on West Point base, some of us City boys frequent it. The best hunting in the area is without a doubt Westchester County. Only archery, Big bucks, but it is all private land. PM me and I'll let you in on a farmer who loves Bowhunters.
Thanks for all the comments and offers. The initial shock of moving is starting to wear off. My wife and I went to a great farmers market yesterday and stocked the fridge with many great local fruits and veggies. We even got lucky enough to score a spinach/feta cheese quiche and apple pie to enjoy today.
We met some new neighbors, one family which were a very liberal "arts teacher" at the local school and the rest were very conservative in their beliefs who supported my efforts in the Army. All of them very kind, making up a very nice community, in which we were welcomed into. There is a very nice plot of hunting land right across from my home which is littered with dear. I have some homework to do in regards to the hunting regs. It seams that the the Art teacher had a run in with a hunter last year that discharged his black powder rifle upon returning to his vehicle so that he would not be traveling with a loaded arm. The arts teacher was up in arms about the situation even though the hunter was within his rights. I dont want to step on any toes be new to this area, so I'll play it safe and ensure that I have only the best string silencers available and only discharge my bow when the opportunity arrives.
I did a little jogging this morning to learn more about the area, and discovered some really promising hunting trails. I cant wait to do some more. I don't sign into work till mid February, so I have some time to scope out my surroundings. I'll be heading to Connecticut tomorrow with some friends for his Birthday. He want to eat a this famous hotdog place that was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri.
My wife has family in Jersey, Yonkers, and Manhattan, so we plan on doing some traveling soon. There is a train station 5 minutes from my home in Garrison, so we will probably catch that into Grand Central Station on Wednesday.
Im so thrilled about the big shoots in the area, and will do my best to attend if work allows. I had no idea there were so many of you Traditionalist in NY and surrounding areas. Once we are settled in, I'll definitely take you all up on the offers. As for now, I have to get mommas nest established.
I apologize for the late response. My internet connection is giving me fits. I may have to cancel my satellite account and go with cable. I'll keep everyone updated, and I'll be sure to post pics once I'm set. BTW, my wife took a few pics of nice does that came through the property this morning while I was out jogging......
Casey, Welcome to NY. Sorry your trip was a tough one. I'm only about 1/2 hour south of you. PM me and I'll give you my cell number. My buddy and I belong to a local Rod & Gun club with a decent 3-D course on the property, you're more than welcome to join us next time we go. Fred
Casey, Good to hear from you...Longstick is right about Suffolk Archers, they put on a great shoot. Also, I would take him up on his offer of contact info regarding hunting in Westchester. There are some big deer there and though there is some NYC Watershed property available to hunt on, you're best bet is on private property and finding a spot is tough. I lost my last piece of hunting property in Westchester 3 years ago to developement and have been hunting in Putnam County since.
Welcome to the east coast and some of the finest whitetail hunting in the country no matter what anyone says. The catskills are on your doorstep and a few hours north the adirondacks are incredible with some huge eastern whitetails.If i had the opportunity to live out west i probably would but i know what we have here as far as deer is second to none.
Sorry for your difficulties on the move, all I can say is thank you so very much for all you have done, and will be doing to protect my personal freedoms. Thanks!
Howdy and Welcome! A heartfelt thanks for your service. Very sorry about your loss. Pets are truely like family.Hec, I'm about 50 minutes from Garrison. You have a bunch of Trad Gangers real close to you.I think you'll like it here. bentpole>>>>~~~~~>
Welcome to New York. The Hudson Valley is one of the most spectacular areas of the state if not the country. In autumn the burnt orange and scarlet red hues draping the mountains are a sight to behold and a walk over the Bear Mountain bridge will confirm why Henry Hudson wrote in his journals 400 hundred years ago, "This is the finest land I have ever laid my eyes upon. The river is teeming with fish and the land is filled with game of all sorts and the skies are filled with birds for minutes at a time." It must have been a paradise back then, but it is still not too bad now. Hunting and fishing abounds in the Hudson Valley.
However, I would not avoid the City at all. Some of the finest food, museums, and culture in the world can be had with a short train ride from Garrison to Grand Central. Besides, the City is extremely safe and the people aren't bad at all. The theatres and shows are also the finest in the world. I take my family to a show at least once a year ... it is worth it.
Good luck and if you need any info send a pm.
And us liberals appreciate your military service, too.
Zmonster, Welcome to NY. Sorry to hear about your dog, I have two that I'm going to have to make a decision on soon. I'm only about a half hour from you, and grew up in and around that area. I will send you a PM.
Welcome to NY Zmonster and I very much appreciate the sacrifices you are making for our Country. I'm also in the Hudson Valley and have moved here rather recently and have found it a very nice place to live, hunt, and work. The taxes are high, the politics corrupt, and more liberals than any state should have, but not a bad place to hang your hat! Despite the current government the good old USA is still the best!
I'm very sorry to hear of the loss of your good friend! Best wishes to you and your family!
New York is a wonderful place to hunt and fish. West Point had an outdoors archery course years ago and great hunting on their lands. The Stewart Airport Wildlife Management area has great deer hunting and turkey and small game. You will love the area. I moved away after retiring in 2004 and I miss it when I think of the great hunting and fishing opportunities there. Try the Delaware river for Trout, Smallmouth, etc.