155 replies to this topic

[Shake Yer Bones]

Any luck yet this season?

Opening weekend here in the Finger Lakes kinda sucked weather-wise with rain and wind. It's been warm, too.

Tuesday, I had a nice seat for a pair of 4-pointers at the edge of a cornfield. They bumped tines and kinda played around for about 10 minutes. Watched at 20 yards, but they stayed behind the 1 tree that was in the way of a good opportunity. Just a few more feet to the left and I'd have had my first harvest with a bow. My legs were shaking the whole time!

This morning, saw 4 does. I actually got to draw twice, but the closest they got to me was about 40 yards. I don't trust my shot from that distance.

Nice to know they're out and about. Just hoping I get better opportunities.

[stylzing]

I ve been stuck in studio ..good thing but, but not so good during bow.. and driving my little teens to girlfriends and parties..who has a party opening day of bow season? went out late to a honey hole and two big doe were in my shooting lanes but iwas not in stand and spooked them off getting there.. love the deer shakes..venison ran out late spring so I'm craving a backstrap right about now.. up early to work.. always a funny battle of the the little guys on either shoulder whispering in my ear I walk to shop.."good Man, you need to work" or "perfect morning to go sit in the double stand..wind is just right..bow season is only 5 wks of the year" be safe all...

[Depends]

Couple of dudes in my town got an almost record bull moose. close to 1300 lbs

[drvic]

Out in Mendham NJ my buddies dad has seen a couple of large 6ers, with a good number for 4 pointers. Probably going to try my luck on Sunday, but I havent gotten out yet this year. My buddies havent really had any luck yet, but we gotta earn that buck so might as well clear some does.

[georgi]

Blech.

[MeOmYo]

A buddy of mine got a nice 6 yesterday. Big deer with lots of fat on him. From what I've seen they are not in rut yet around here and the bucks are still bunched up. I don't bow hunt. Had one years ago but sold it before college and never got back into it. I have a tough time justifying a bow as they aren't worth shit in a couple years and I put enough venison in the freezer with a gun. And guns appreciate. And I'm a cheap MFer...

He had 36 hrs in a tree stand and this was the 7th deer he saw, 1st buck.

[drvic]

Blech.

You will thank us when you dont hit one with your car.

[georgi]

I would have a mental breakdown if I ever hit one. I got a squirrel once and cried for like, 2 hours.

[drvic]

I would have a mental breakdown if I ever hit one. I got a squirrel once and cried for like, 2 hours.

I ran over a groundhog the other day that was already run over. I still felt bad

[JBetty]

I've had 5 hit me in the last ~15 years.


I say - SHOOT EM ALL!

[georgi]

I ran over a groundhog the other day that was already run over. I still felt bad

Ughhhhhh I've done that too! That little *bump* you feel. GROSS! Makes me sad. Poor little fellers!

[TEO]

I haven't gone hunting in years. Never did the tree stand thing, more of a deer stalker type.

[Tim the Beek]

Blech.

Until there's some way to restore the natural (nonhuman) predator/prey relationship with deer, it's important that people hunt them.

Gonna try to get out on some family property some time in November/December and get one or two. Need to upgrade my freezer space first, and get a little time in with a shotgun and a rifle to see which I'm better with close up these days.

I'm getting sore just thinking of scraping the hides. But buckskin isn't a bad thing to have around. Probably be giving a shot at making casings for sausage too, which I haven't done before.

[Shake Yer Bones]

For those who bowhunt in NY, the DEC has adopted a 5-year management plan that means bowseason will start Oct. 1 next year. That's an extra 2 weeks, but you really gotta wonder how many will be harvested when it's still that warm.

Gotta say I am loving this new area I'm in. We have barns across the road and the farmer that runs them told me to "shoot anything that walks." He plants beans and the deer are hell on that crop. So I get to work what's essentially a 100-acre food plot. I've seen plenty of sign on this land, with some incredible rubs that are chest-high to me. And one of the farmhands told me yesterday they've been watching 3 monster bucks back there. I may be heading back out as soon as I finish posting this!

[JBetty]

Need to upgrade my freezer space first

I have a freezer I no longer use, if you want it.

[Tim the Beek]

I have a freezer I no longer use, if you want it.

Very much appreciated. I have one set aside for me already...just have get it to the house.

[MeOmYo]

Probably be giving a shot at making casings for sausage too, which I haven't done before.

I'd be interested in how that turns out. Venison fat/grizzle is pretty nasty so I wonder how casings would be.

I just order 23mm sheep casings for breakfast sausage links. $30 to do about 80 lbs.

casings are expensive.

[Shake Yer Bones]

I ve been stuck in studio ..good thing but, but not so good during bow.. and driving my little teens to girlfriends and parties..who has a party opening day of bow season? went out late to a honey hole and two big doe were in my shooting lanes but iwas not in stand and spooked them off getting there.. love the deer shakes..venison ran out late spring so I'm craving a backstrap right about now.. up early to work.. always a funny battle of the the little guys on either shoulder whispering in my ear I walk to shop.."good Man, you need to work" or "perfect morning to go sit in the double stand..wind is just right..bow season is only 5 wks of the year" be safe all...

Yeah, I'm running low on venison and pheasant, so I'm pretty excited for the cooler weather/hunting seasons.

Drew on a healthy 4-pointer last night from the same stand as before. Just couldn't get a clear lane but my legs were shaking again the whole time. What a rush! Heading out again tonight to try a different spot ... hopefully the fog that's here now drifts away.

[unbroken_chain]

[stylzing]

only had hr before i had to bring boys to Halloween dance figured it would be perfect i could shoot deer and let it lay till I got back..nice six pointer cooperated with plan..watched him browse the white viburnum berries..every yr there is a buck in this patch pre rut..he took the whole 59 minutes of my time(complete with shakes) came into shooting lane AND APPARENTLY DUCKED MY ARROW.. GOOD BUZZ ..trotted slowly away..

[beerzrkr]

1 doe earlier this year. Seen a bunch since but nothing I could take a shot on with my bow.

[Shake Yer Bones]

At least 1 of us has something in the freezer. ..... nice job.

It's still early, though. Any of you pay much mind to moon phases and how it affects feeding? I'm finding it all depends on who ya ask. Some swear by it, some pay it no mind. I'm starting to think there may be something to it, though, with the patterns I'm seeing.

Flushed a good sized buck earlier today, then spotted 4 doe from afar and tried to circle and stalk, but no luck. Hoping the rut kicks in sometime in the coming week and gets things moving.

[Deadshow Dan]

Until there's some way to restore the natural (nonhuman) predator/prey relationship with deer, it's important that people hunt them.

I don't believe that for a moment.

But I also don't have a problem with bow hunters. Never met a yahoo, out to party yeeeha! bow hunter. Pretty much all careful and thoughtful, and mostly just out to stock the freezer. Nothing wrong with enjoying that, it's a heck of a lot better than McDs.

[deadphan]

Haven't got out yet. Hopefully will get out Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week. My dad shot at a big doe today and missed from just over 30 yards. Some decent young bucks running around and a lot of does. Looking forward to getting in the stand this week.

[stylzing]

how many acres you have around that pond Dan..? I'd bet a bow hunter or two from the hood have used their climber stand and infiltrated to kill your amigos. fear the yahee bow hunter.. they love their silence and have come across a few headless Deer w/ backstraps and roasts left for the yotes.. I find more bow hunters to be trophy hunters than the stock my freezer variety.. non hunters romanticize bow hunting..way more crueler death than a well placed slug or bullet.. dead deer don't run.. after the rut especially the deer are hard to find and move in many places..ive wished many a time during a slo bow season and a quite gun season to have a few yahees around to get the deer moving..humans have been driving deer for a while now

[stylzing]

syb - next week or so as rut heats up try going out from 10 -1 instead of morning and evening hunt..the biggins are out then all the time..1 they can't help but follow does in heat but 2 the smart ones know the regular hunting hrs and coffee breaks:coffee: great time to use calls near the bedding areras

[stylzing]

love empire forum .. lurk on there and you may find your neighbors too.. just had the Uncle over other day..suspected he was scoping if I was home or not.. he mentioned this deer but had not seen it yet or heard where he got it from..not the big one I know about. less of a spread but bigger tines.. 200 lbs is a good size deer
http://huntingny.com...-inside-spread/

[Deadshow Dan]

stylz, I've yet to come across that on my land during bow season. The only infiltration I saw was someone chasing a wounded one.


Interesting though

[Shake Yer Bones]

syb - next week or so as rut heats up try going out from 10 -1 instead of morning and evening hunt..the biggins are out then all the time..1 they can't help but follow does in heat but 2 the smart ones know the regular hunting hrs and coffee breaks:coffee: great time to use calls near the bedding areras

I figure the rut's kicking in this week so I'm trying to get out every minute I can. Activity in the area is INSANE. Prints, scrapes and rubs all over the place. It's just so nice to be able to walk out my door and hunt. Found a scrape not more than 30 yards from my house this morning.

Thanks for the link. Looks like it is a nice place to lurk.

[Terrapin Station]

My brother got a doe on Saturday. I'm heading up to beer camp, ugh I mean deer camp next week for a 4 day hunt.

[PieDoh]

This season's deer story....

Sio....I'm headed east on I-10 in Louisiana, nighttime, actually early early morning...still dark. Lots of drivers are gung ho, get in front of anyone types, regardless of how long it takes blocking the passing lane. This guy pulling a double is in the slow lane, just getting up to road speed and I pass him, despite him trying to reach velocity before I passed...I move back in front and continue cruising at 65, my max on the level road. He pulls into the passing lane and struggles to just get by me...and pulls back in front of me way too soon for safety or my comfort. I see there's no one in the passing lane behind us, so I drift back out and watch the guy who passed slowly pull further away from in front of me.
Then a deer jumps out in front of him and he hits it dead center and five axles roll over the deer mangling it some and certainly killing it... I get on the CB and say "I sure am glad you got in front of me for that" ....He was just starting to slow down to stop and check the damage...

[stylzing]

stylz, I've yet to come across that on my land during bow season. The only infiltration I saw was someone chasing a wounded one.


Interesting though

I just chasing a wounded deer is the oldest story in the book.. a good bow hunter talks to all the surrounding neighbors before knowing there is a chance the deer will cross property lines.. also you don't chase wounded deer with a bow..let them lay

[MeOmYo]

I just chasing a wounded deer is the oldest story in the book.. a good bow hunter talks to all the surrounding neighbors before knowing there is a chance the deer will cross property lines.. also you don't chase wounded deer with a bow..let them lay

this

show me the blood trail or GTFO

[Shake Yer Bones]

The season so far has been a lot of this.

[Deadshow Dan]

I just chasing a wounded deer is the oldest story in the book.. a good bow hunter talks to all the surrounding neighbors before knowing there is a chance the deer will cross property lines.. also you don't chase wounded deer with a bow..let them lay

but I saw the deer with the arrow in it that time

[stylzing]

http://www.halforums...arrow-jpg.3065/

[Deadshow Dan]

I'm remembering this, and I know I saw the deer. I'm not 100% sure I saw the arrow... or whatever you call it. I do seem to remember some blood traill or something

[Shake Yer Bones]

Failed miserably yesterday morning. Shot at a spikehorn from about 15 yards and hit the ground right next to him. Ugh. Amazingly, he stood there as I reloaded and I shot high and missed again before he took off. I suppose the bright side is my bad shooting didn't result in an injured deer. Harmless misses. It's my 3rd full year of bowhunting and this was actually the first time I ever shot at a deer. It's exciting, nerve-wracking, frustrating and thrilling all at once.

I'll take some practice shots this afternoon before heading out again tomorrow morning to the same stand, hopefully to see this fella again with better results.

[Tim the Beek]

I don't believe that for a moment

That's certainly your right.

Ecosystems are just that, systems. When one part gets out of balance, other parts of them get unbalanced as well.

This is the opinion of someone who was a vegetarian for more than 20 years. I don't drink. Not a yahoo.

That's all I'm gonna say about it.

[roo]

"you shure got a pretty mouth."

[Tim the Beek]

"you shure got a pretty mouth."

[melissa.phish]

I have an opening for some venison jerky if someone suddenly discovers they have too much.......

[MeOmYo]

when I first started hunting ~'92, on opening morning of guns season it sounded like a warzone in the woods with shots going off regularly all morning. the land I hunt is on a road 12 miles long with 25 houses one it, 5 of which are seasonal. The road would have dozens of vehicles parked along it. Last year on opening morning I heard maybe a dozen shots all morning and there were not even a dozen vehicles parked along the road. Less shots could somewhat be attributed to the use of rifles now, which are much more accurate and deadly due to shot velocity and placement. My point is, there seems to be less and less hunters every hear. Deer populations at least around here haven't seemed to increase though, but rather decreased. Probably due to the decrease in agriculture and increase in predatory animals such as coyotes (these fuckers are everywhere now).

I read an excellent article in the Adirondac magazine a couple years ago regarding the movement of moose and how they are moving down from the northeast. The heard in NY is steadily growing and how NY is poising itself to handle an inevitable moose season. How we are in a good spot because there are many northeast states with moose popultions that have handled the heards differently and that info is available to NY to help determine the best way to handle an increasing population. A good unbiased article as Adirondac is published by the Adirondack Mountain Club.

not sure how this has anything to do with anything but, well, whateva

[Tim the Beek]

Probably due to the decrease in agriculture and increase in predatory animals such as coyotes (these fuckers are everywhere now).

Those probably are a factor. Don't know if NY has extended bow and muzzleloader seasons like we do in CT.

By my observation, there are as many, or more, deer in NW CT as ever. Can't go far on the road at night without seeing a bunch...

[Shake Yer Bones]

The deer population here in Western NY has skyrocketed in recent years, while the number of hunters is fewer and fewer. Just last week, I saw a dead buck (car) in the city of Rochester. Not on the outskirts of the city. It was about a mile from downtown. I've mostly lived my life about 20-25 miles outside of Rochester and every year, I see the roadkill on freeways moving closer and closer to the center of Rochester. Hunting them is the only way to at least try to manage the herd. In my area (8N and 8H), they are literally giving away extra doe tags for hunters to harvest. And, it looks like bow season next year in NY will open on Oct. 1, a full 2 weeks earlier than usual in an effort to harvest more deer.

[MeOmYo]

we do have extended bow and muzzleloader seasons.

years ago it would be nothing to see a group of 30 deer in a field at night. now, if I see 8 or 10, that is a big group. the only population that has skyrocketed is coyote.

I am in WMU 4F. We don't get many doe tags here.

I have good friends in Irondequoit and every time I go there, I see deer in their neighborhood.

[stylzing]

Failed miserably yesterday morning. Shot at a spikehorn from about 15 yards and hit the ground right next to him. Ugh. Amazingly, he stood there as I reloaded and I shot high and missed again before he took off. I suppose the bright side is my bad shooting didn't result in an injured deer. Harmless misses. It's my 3rd full year of bowhunting and this was actually the first time I ever shot at a deer. It's exciting, nerve-wracking, frustrating and thrilling all at once.

I'll take some practice shots this afternoon before heading out again tomorrow morning to the same stand, hopefully to see this fella again with better results.

do you practice from a stand.?. and I learned to make sure I dip front shoulder and raise back shoulder with weight forward to help compensate angle from treestand.. I failed miserably on nice six last week.. but saw him today at another stand..while I was grunting and bleating..he walked thru field eating viburnum berries again..find the does this weekend..go where ever you normally see them..

[stylzing]

Cayuga Heights Monster take ?

http://huntingny.com...-heights-16-pt/

[Jambear]

Come sit on my front poech.
Every night i have 2 bucks and 4 does come into my neighbors yard to eat apples from his tree.

Sit on my back porch if you want turkeys we get 4 males and 5 females every 3 days in my yard in the am.

Oh the deer also bed down in my leaf mulch piles in the woods behind my house just off my lawn.

[Deadshow Dan]

Bainbridge, NY