Phonedave
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Posts posted by Phonedave
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- freemason
As a Mason... I wonder how you could pretend to be one of us... do we look different than others?
I was thinking the same thing. Is there someplace we are allowed to go, that others are not?
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editted::tyrades
what exactly is the point in hunting?
meat can be bought in markets and wildlife conservationists can cull the numbers of wildlife populations themselves instead.
You could ask the same question of Geocaching...
Or fishing...
Fish can be bought in a market also...
Same thing that attracts fishermen to fishing... attracts hunters to hunting...
and why does a conservationist have to be hired to cull the numbers when hunting is such a popular soprt, and serves the conservation of resources...
BTW... NJ has one of the best, most successful Fish & Game Departments in the US...
Sorry... a bit off topic... this really is not the forum to discuss the pros/cons of hunting...
Exactly
One thing that hunting has done, at least for me, is has given me a GREATER repsect for animal life.
Its one thing to go to a store, and buy an nice shiny, sanitary, pre-wrapped, package of meat. You bring it home, cook it, and never give a thought as to where it came from, or what it once was.
Its an entirely diffent story when you must do all the work yourself, and you see that meat is a) a living, breathing, animal, and b ) messy. I am well aware of what I am eating, and where it came from, and what was sacrificed evertime I eat meat, weather it came from a sterile grocery store, or from the fields.
-dave
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I'm ok with the bow hunters as they are usually pretty thoughtful about their shots (as they need to retrieve their arrows if they miss). Rifle guys are usually good too. But when the shotgun hunters get out there, that's when I worry.
There is no rifle hunting in NJ. It's all shotgun and bow. You can use a rifled slug gun (shotgun) but not a regular rifle.
-dave
NJDEP
Rifle Permit
A valid rifle permit is required for coyote, deer, squirrel and woodchuck hunting with a muzzleloading rifle; raccoon and opossum hunting with a .22 caliber rifle; and for dispatching trapped animals other than muskrat with a .22 caliber rifle. Initial rifle permit applicants must be at least 10 years old and have successfully completed a rifle Hunter Education course. Rifle permits for 10 to 17 years olds will be valid only for muzzleloaders. No persons under 18 years old may hunt with centerfire or rimfire rifles.
Are we talking deer or small game in this thread. I hope that any hunter who has passed the hunter education course in NJ would not mistake a human for small game (same goes for any other animal as well, but I digress) .22 rifle is only for racoon and opossum - (Which is in season shortly BTW) The rifle mentioned below for deer are muzzeloaders only - .44 + Much like the rationale mentioned that "bow hunters are safer because they need to pick their shots because they only get one" (which I don't wholly agree with) a muzzeloader only gets one.
In reality, a safe and legal hunter will cary any weapon in a safe condition, will identify his or her target, will identify what is BEYOND their target, and will only fire if the entire shot picture is safe. Now I am not going to claim that every hunter that is out there is perfect, but the vast, vast, majority of them are. And those of us who are tend to "police ourselves" Those that are safe will correct those that are not. I tend to get a little edgy when people start protraying hunters as people whos' only goal is to go into the woods and blast away at everything in sight (not that you said that, but this thread seemed to be heading in that direction). Some of my best days hunting have been days where I never fired a single shot, but it's not the same as a hike, there are differences. Its hard to explain, but it's different. Anyway, this is just my two cents. If everyone takes proper percautions everybody should get along just fine. And if ANYBODY sees ANYBODY hunting where they should not be, my advice is mark the waypoint and leave, and then call the rangers in the area and tell them what and where you saw it. The Rangers in NJ take their job VERY seriously and have no sympathy for people who skirt the law.
-dave
Well put...
Actually, I've been hunting in NJ since the late '60's...
and the only time I felt unsafe was in Wittingham WMA...
on opening day for pheasant...
It was back in the 70's and a bunch of obviously "city boys" were running (litterally) and taking shots at anything that moved... while they were running...
We left and went elsewhere...
I still advise wearing hunter orange while geocaching...
It's probably more likely you can get hit during small game season than deer season... as in small game (at least birds) you are trying to hit a moving target...
and the someone may not see you walk around the end or over the top of a burm...
And do not underestimate what a blast of high brass #6 birdshot will do to a geocacher...
Best to aviod caches in WMA's during hunting season...
I have been avoiding placing caches in Flatbrook-Roy WMA for just that very reason. Thats where we hunt phesant. During the off season its a nice place to go and cache - I would love to place some around the beaver pond area. Also some of the abandoned houses and wells from the old Tocks Island project would be interesting places to bring a cacher. But during upland game season I would be leery. I don't think anybody would be shot, but it might unnerve a few.
I know what you mean about "city types". We call them "meat hunters" They are they ones who will be staking out birds roosting in trees along the road. Then at sunup, they bag them and go home. It more enjoyable to buy a chicken at the grocery store if thats what you are going to do. I have also seen some people do some stupid things hunting. But you tend to see the same core of people year over year, and the unsafe ones tend to get weeded out. They are the ones who think its all running through the wood blowing stuff away. They soon find out its not, and never come back.
-dave
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I'm ok with the bow hunters as they are usually pretty thoughtful about their shots (as they need to retrieve their arrows if they miss). Rifle guys are usually good too. But when the shotgun hunters get out there, that's when I worry.
There is no rifle hunting in NJ. It's all shotgun and bow. You can use a rifled slug gun (shotgun) but not a regular rifle.
-dave
NJDEP
Rifle Permit
A valid rifle permit is required for coyote, deer, squirrel and woodchuck hunting with a muzzleloading rifle; raccoon and opossum hunting with a .22 caliber rifle; and for dispatching trapped animals other than muskrat with a .22 caliber rifle. Initial rifle permit applicants must be at least 10 years old and have successfully completed a rifle Hunter Education course. Rifle permits for 10 to 17 years olds will be valid only for muzzleloaders. No persons under 18 years old may hunt with centerfire or rimfire rifles.
Are we talking deer or small game in this thread. I hope that any hunter who has passed the hunter education course in NJ would not mistake a human for small game (same goes for any other animal as well, but I digress) .22 rifle is only for racoon and opossum - (Which is in season shortly BTW) The rifle mentioned below for deer are muzzeloaders only - .44 + Much like the rationale mentioned that "bow hunters are safer because they need to pick their shots because they only get one" (which I don't wholly agree with) a muzzeloader only gets one.
In reality, a safe and legal hunter will cary any weapon in a safe condition, will identify his or her target, will identify what is BEYOND their target, and will only fire if the entire shot picture is safe. Now I am not going to claim that every hunter that is out there is perfect, but the vast, vast, majority of them are. And those of us who are tend to "police ourselves" Those that are safe will correct those that are not. I tend to get a little edgy when people start protraying hunters as people whos' only goal is to go into the woods and blast away at everything in sight (not that you said that, but this thread seemed to be heading in that direction). Some of my best days hunting have been days where I never fired a single shot, but it's not the same as a hike, there are differences. Its hard to explain, but it's different. Anyway, this is just my two cents. If everyone takes proper percautions everybody should get along just fine. And if ANYBODY sees ANYBODY hunting where they should not be, my advice is mark the waypoint and leave, and then call the rangers in the area and tell them what and where you saw it. The Rangers in NJ take their job VERY seriously and have no sympathy for people who skirt the law.
-dave
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I'm ok with the bow hunters as they are usually pretty thoughtful about their shots (as they need to retrieve their arrows if they miss). Rifle guys are usually good too. But when the shotgun hunters get out there, that's when I worry.
There is no rifle hunting in NJ. It's all shotgun and bow. You can use a rifled slug gun (shotgun) but not a regular rifle.
-dave
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Well, I'd been feeling a bit poorly for a few weeks. Went on my geocaching vacation last week, anyway. (Got an APE cache, and my 500th find!) Some general aches, a bit of a headache. A few other strange symptoms. Wednesday night I discovered a very large, irregularly shaped rash on my back. Probably about two feet by two feet. It was not there the night before. By Friday, I had six or eight irregular shaped rashes on various parts of my body. By the time I got to the doctor today, I had thirty or so rashes, all over the place. I had read about the 'one bull's eye' rash, so I figured it wasn't Lyme. Had no idea what it was. By Friday, I was feeling pretty poorly.
Doc took one look at me and said "That looks like Lyme." She's diagnosed fifteen cases like that this year. Definitely not a textbook case, but becoming increasingly common. So, I'm on doxycillin for three weeks, and waiting for the result of the blood test. She'll keep me on the doxycillin for three weeks, regardless of the result of the blood test. And a follow up blood test in six weeks.
Oh, well.
And, yes, I do check for ticks whenever I go hiking or geocaching. I've had as many as seventeen ticks crawling on me at one time. Blecch. I hate ticks!
It can be multiple rashes. My 3 year old is just finishing up a 21 day cycle of Amox for Lyme. She had bullseye rashes on her legs, rear, and trunk - About 6 or 7 spots. She also complained that she was tired and her knees hurt. My wife took her to the doc, and he said "its just an allergic reaction" and prescribed Benedryl. My wife went back 3 days later armed with documentation from the internet and pictures. Another doctor in the practice took one look at her and said "thats Lyme" and started the antibiotics - the rash and other symptoms cleared the next day. A blood test confirmed Lyme. We may have to look for a new doctor.
I do a tick check on the kids when I take them out, and use DEET on them. I saw no evidence of any ticks on her. Best guess based on the rough time frame, is she picked it up while we were caching on Garret Mountain.
-dave
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I thought I would comment that one of the YJTBs shipped to me for distribution made it all the way to Australia, and was last known to be in Tasmania. Unfortunately, since I didn't 'place' the TBs in my distribution event (I thought it would be great to let the cachers get the first 'official' log), the mileage is WAY skewed. It shows under 2k miles, when it's obvious that it went much, much further. Had it been logged there first, it would have another 8300 miles on it. Have any traveled >10k miles like this one would have?
The uber-cool thing is it was taken there by the team that is believed to be the origin of the Yellow Jeep phenomenon, as the Yellow Jeep Fever locationless was created to honor that very team, who drive one SWEET Yellow Jeep themselves.
# 2634 Made it to Iraq and back. I was lucky enough to have it pass through my hands. It did give me pause to stop and think.
13,663 miles, and it seems to have stalled in October of 2004
-dave
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I can vouch for The Heartland Brewery. I sampled about 6 different pints and each one seemed to be better than the last. Hmmmm.
As far as an establishment in Jersey, I've heard good things about Stiletto's though I have never been.
I hear the "Bada Bing" is pretty good too!
My brother in law used to bounce there.
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Thanks to Quoddy, Phone Dave, Team Demp, Avroaire, Rose, Helmut and Mike for joining us on this group hike. It was just as tough as advertised, but we had a game group who persevered without complaint. Helmut had to leave after "Sign of the Cross" and Stormchild didn't catch us with us till "Agora", but we were a tight little group. A special thanks to Rose, for keeping my wife company when these geocaching nuts went off to do their thing.
And thanks to Johnboy for leading us around as easily as I find my way around my backyard. (even though he forgets where he placed his own caches).
-dave
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Congrats. Glad I was there to see you do it !.
-dave
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White Manna - Meeting - Ha hahahahahahaha. Your lucky if you can fit yourself into this place, let along a group. Having said that, I drool every time I pass this place (and I only live about 2 miles away)
Kind of like an upscale White Castle. Once you go in there, your clothes smell like White Manna for the rest of the day. I'm been there a couple times and always walked away happy. As for a place to have an event, unless you are the 6 or 8 people that could fit (squeeze) up to the counter, you'll be standing outside in the parking lot.
BTW, this is the greatest place on the planet. Thus this it the best virtual ever. EVER!
If was geocaching back then when this virtual was active, it would have been in the bag.
I can't count the number of times I have eaten there. Or the number of take out orders I have brought home (they freeze pretty well too - not quite the same, but still dadgum good)
-dave
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Callahan's - All over the place, but the one in Fort Lee is nice and large
Galloping Hill - Good dogs (and other food) indoor seating, but not conducive to a meeting. Outdoor seating at round "paito type" tables. 4 or 5 can sit and talk.
Hirams - Right across from Callahans in Fort Lee. Again - good dogs. Table seating. A small group could meet there.
Hot Dog Johnny's - Great place. Ourdoorsy seating, so a group could meet there
Rutt's Hut - RIPPERS - And they call it relish, but its not. It is it's own food group. Ample tables for meeting. I used to have my office in Clifton for a while. I think thats when I got this gut
White Manna - Meeting - Ha hahahahahahaha. Your lucky if you can fit yourself into this place, let along a group. Having said that, I drool every time I pass this place (and I only live about 2 miles away)
White Rose System - In addition to the one listed on this site, there is also one in Linden (I had an office in Linden for a while also). I don't know if they are related, but the Cali burgers in each taste the same - dang tasty. Not really a meeting place for more than 4 or 5 people (diner like seating)
Thats about all for me - and my stomach
-dave
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I have Team Demp and Quoddy planning to join me next sunday for a circuit of the eight caches up around Fishkill Ridge. The meeting place is at 9:00 am at the base of Mt Beacon on Rt 9D. The distance will be about ten miles. Is anyone else planning to join us?
Since Avroair and Mrs Avroair will be staying at Bear Mtn the evening before, we are in! Can you post parking tudes. Just telling me Route 9 means nothing as Dave can attest!
OK. Now you have convinced me.
1) I have been caching for almost a year and have yet to meet any others, so why not start now
and more oddly
2) I too will be attending a wedding on the 14th (in North Jersey), so why not - it can be a post wedding thing
So count me in. Cleared it with family command, all set to go
-dave
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Greetings fellow cachers.
My friend (JoeyF) and I are planning a trip to the Baltimore area for a combination of baseball at Camden Yard and some caching.
Could anyone help us out with a few zip codes or some 'really cool' caches in the area that are 'must-do's'
We'll also be travelling south from Niagara-Buffalo area so we'd also appreciate knowing if there are any highway-drive-by cache identifier codes that would return a found set of caches along the interState or along any of the N-S highways?
We're aiming to be in the Baltimore area the last week of July and if there are any folks in the area who might like to go caching with us, we'd appreciate the chance to meet you, and have you guide us a bit... or at least, help us find a good retaurant or pub after a day of caching.
Many thanks & happy caching!
Well Time will not dim is right outside the stadium - it is a virtual cache though.
I thought Top of the Hillwas a nice cache. Especialy if you approach from the Inner Harbor and go up the face of the hill
- that was cool.If you search on those two, you will see there are a bunch of caches around the Inner Harbor and surrounding areas. Some micros, some virts, and just outside the area (not really walking distance, but a 10 min drive) are some standard ones.
-dave
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Merluzzi's examination of the scene revealed a large quantity of beer at the campsite
Gets better all the time.
Sure does
"Scollon was angry about the comments from the Game Commission.
''If I was an inexperienced camper I wouldn't be alive right now,'' he said Wednesday. ''If [Feeney] was inexperienced, she wouldn't be alive right now.''"
If he was so experienced, whats he doing running, yelling play dead, and leaving food out?
I have encountered one bear. We were phesant hunting in the Flatbrook-Roy WMA in NJ. My father and I crested a hill, and there was a bear, up a tree. We backed away slowly, and let my brother know to keep the dog off the hill. When we got to the bottom, we ran into an other group of phesant hunters. We warned them about the bear, and they decided to go look - I guess they were "experienced" as well.
-dave
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Folks:
Sorry about the short notice on this, but if anyone can respond by this evening Wed 5/4, I'd appreciate.
I picked up a TB whose goal is to be dropped off somewhere in NJ so that its owner can retrieve it once dropped. I'm currently in the NYC area visiting family, and I'm flying home via Philly Airport tomorrow, Thu 5/5. So, I'm looking for a "quick on/off the highway" cache, large enough to accommodate a TB, somewhere in NJ along the NJTP or I-295 on the way to Philly.
Can anyone in the area offer me a suggestion or two within my deadline?
Thanks!!
-Dave R., in town from Biloxi, MS
Are you comming over the GWB or throught the tunnel? If you are comming over the GWB, then you can hit either
Chief Oratam's T.B. Hotel & Signature Item Cache
and/or
Overpeck Park - Henry Hoebel Area
Parking for the first one is 5 minutes off Route 80 before you even get to the Turnpike, and it about 15 minutes round trip to get the cache.
The second is a multi - but you can drive, again in 5 minutes, to the first stage, and then its a 5 minute walk to the second stage. Again it's right off of Route 80 (in fact its the same exit, just the other direction on the local road as the first one)
The first one is a Tupperware container, the second is an Ammo Can. - Should hold TB's nicely.
-dave
What Phonedave said.....thanks for the plug
Yes, I think my Now How Do I Get Out ?is closer to the exit, but seeing as it involves a 2 mile R/T walk through tick land, I opted to give the plug to you.
-dave
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Folks:
Sorry about the short notice on this, but if anyone can respond by this evening Wed 5/4, I'd appreciate.
I picked up a TB whose goal is to be dropped off somewhere in NJ so that its owner can retrieve it once dropped. I'm currently in the NYC area visiting family, and I'm flying home via Philly Airport tomorrow, Thu 5/5. So, I'm looking for a "quick on/off the highway" cache, large enough to accommodate a TB, somewhere in NJ along the NJTP or I-295 on the way to Philly.
Can anyone in the area offer me a suggestion or two within my deadline?
Thanks!!
-Dave R., in town from Biloxi, MS
Are you comming over the GWB or throught the tunnel? If you are comming over the GWB, then you can hit either
Chief Oratam's T.B. Hotel & Signature Item Cache
and/or
Overpeck Park - Henry Hoebel Area
Parking for the first one is 5 minutes off Route 80 before you even get to the Turnpike, and it about 15 minutes round trip to get the cache.
The second is a multi - but you can drive, again in 5 minutes, to the first stage, and then its a 5 minute walk to the second stage. Again it's right off of Route 80 (in fact its the same exit, just the other direction on the local road as the first one)
The first one is a Tupperware container, the second is an Ammo Can. - Should hold TB's nicely.
-dave
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Are there any turkey hunters on this board who can comment on any issues relating to sharing the woods with geocachers?
I think that the risk of being shot by a turkey hunter is just about nil but I am concerned that I might disturb them in this activity. I don't worry so much about deer season because the hunters tell me that I might actually help them by kicking out the deer. I just have to concern myself with not looking like a deer so that I don't accidentally get shot by a high powered rifle. I don't know but I'm pretty sure that turkey hunting is different. I don't think that I would be helping them out much by crashing around through the woods when they're trying to do their calls and stuff.
Is it inconsiderate to go geocaching in an area where people are turkey hunting? Should I just stay out of the woods until after 12:00? Do they hunt turkey on Sundays? When does the season end?
Me personaly, I would not mind. It's everybodys wilderness and your free to use it as well. It would be nice if you did not go crashing about, but I am not going to get mad at you about it. Others however ......
Turkey hunters are, for the most part, going to be camoed up and in place well before you are in the woods. You want to be in place as the birds come down from their overnight roosts and begin moving, either to feed or to mate. Unless you are out quite early, you should not be bothering people during this time.
Turkey hunting is different from deer hunting in that you cannot stalk turkeys. In fact, if you happend to kick one up and chase it towards my spot, it would be illegal for me to shoot it. and if I did and was caught, both you are I would be explaining to the game warden that we are not in cahoots together. Turkeys must be called in by the hunter.
I would be more worried about have the daylights scared out of me as you are standing somwhere and a voice from a camoed hunter you did not see comes from 5 feet away.
-dave
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I would like to have a couple of them, please & thanks.
The feet on geese are extended post takeoff and prelanding. Even when extended, they don't exceed the length of the tail. During full flight, the feet are retracted into the belly feathers. Link to a couple sample photos.
I got it! They were mutated in the late 90's due to the local refineries and power plants in the waters nearby. They have had enough of the torturous local bird watchers pointing and laughing at them. They no longer wish to be exploited for their differences and wish to fly away to distant shores in hopes of finding some place of acceptance!
Now THAT I will accept.
Anyway, I still like it. Anything to promote the "tickfest marsh" area in which I live
-dave
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These are the two coins so far for the Jersey Coin Series.
I like it. Just one question? What birds are those supposed to be? They look more like Flamingos than Canada Geese to me (check the feet).
Either way, I'll take a bunch. Phragmites - has anybody from outside the Meadowlands even head of them?
Cool
-dave
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So what do you consider to be a "significant hike", worthy of using the significant hike attribute on the cache page?
Flat (or semi-flat) for me under .5 (one way) is a walk, up to lets say 3 to 3.5 miles each way is a "hike" beyond that is a "significant hike"
Throw in some elevation changes or rock scrambles and that changes things.
Take Do or do not there is no try on the NJ Palisades as an example.
If you hike from the Alpine Boat Basin to the cache and back along the shore trail, about 7+ round trip miles I think, to me thats just a hike. Its all pretty flat except the last .2 to the cache.
However, if you come down from from Stateline on the Blue/White, and head out over the Giant Stairs and up the Peanut Cascade and loop back, thats a significant hike. Its only about a 5.5 mile loop but down the blue/white is a -500 ft (+/-) change in elevation to the cache, and then back up the Peanut Cascade and the Giant Stairs themselves are a roughly 2 mile rock scramble.
-dave
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Outdoors Lady hit 400 on my Achkinkeshacky (GCM9HJ) cache Sunday. I am honored
Congrats.
-dave
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I don't climb phone polls but I imagine even a 5' fall expecially onto a solid service wouldn't be all that pleasant.
Its not really the fall onto a surface that hurts. It the forearms, insides of your thighs, and quite possibly your face getting loaded with creasoe laden splinters as you grab the pole because either A) Your still belted in, or B.) You don't feel like breaking your legs.
-dave
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Just curious, but how could such things be dangerous? The stuff that gets attached to the poles is generally going to be at eye level so no higher than 6ft. I don't do pole climbing and around here at least it seems those who need to go up poles have a truck with a bucket and they get lifted up where they need to go.
Buckets (and ladders) are more and more common, however people still do hook (or gaff) poles. When I was a Foreman, my car was a hatchback, so every inspection I did was on hooks. You would be suprised what can cause you to cut out. Hitting a tack head just right can do it, Plus when people do things like put rigid signs on poles, those are a mess to climb around. Lastly, if a pole has to be removed because of an accident, it gets cut. Just like a lumberjack encountering a nail in a tree, extra hardware in a pole is not pleasant.
-dave
- that was cool.
Do You Cache As A Utility Worker?
in General geocaching topics
Posted
I am a utility worker (well I am management, but I used to be in the field)
Aside from a hard hat, we really do not look any different. Most of the time our guys are up poles or in manholes, not looking under park benches anyway