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what????? it's only two weeks regardless of when the start date is, is it not? I think archery runs a week later this year, which in effect bumps the crossbow to a later start date..........you didn't lose anything.

Think he'll leave the collar on when he mounts the head??

Went gigging for the first time last night with the wife and done friends. Spent about 2 hours actually fishing, and the first hour or so was mostly learning how to hit them. Ended up with 10 fish: 8 sheepshead, 1 sand perch and 1 spadefish.

A few places I would consider based on this arial assuming w-sw predominant wind. Boots on the ground are also key. Good luck

I would not buy any bow for $200. I would absolutely buy a bow over a ladder stand if those were my options.

FSW is looking for someone to say it's the big antlers that a deer hunter wants. Every deer hunter hopes for a buck with a huge rack. But a huge rack on a deer that has lived for many years in the wild, indicates a deer that was an exception among deer. It had to be very wary, wise and even lucky, to grow that big in the wild. Taking such a deer can indicate a great deal of skill on behalf of the hunter who killed it. It could also be a case of pure luck on the hunter's part too. Huge antlered bucks on commercial preserves are not of the same description. Taking such a deer on a preserve requires a great deal of money, and not much else.

Not really. When I didn't find many antlers or dead bucks here this spring it told me they made it off the hill to more suitable wintering grounds before the snow piled up and temps plummeted. The does and fawns are what really took a hit to winterkill. I counted 50+ of those on my hikes. The big buck in the pics is the one I have the last 3 years of left antlers from. He'll be 5.5 this fall. For some reason no matter how bad the winters get, he sticks it out here and amazingly pulls through.

2 years ago i'd agree with you about how easy it is just to walk into the woods. Years of private land hunting has spoiled me. I challenge you to head to some of the public land and norther parts of the state and report back.

I have enough to get through this year. But between maybe hunting the midwest next year or my annual trek to Virginia, i will probably stop to buy at rural king or southern states.

So you only shoot them once they get inside the fence.... or just on the outside looking in? Just wonderin'...

Forgot to say, this is my favorite post from this thread! Curmudgeon gets bashed quite a bit for his stance on yotes, but I honestly believe that he's had more opportunities to observe yote behavior more than most here ever have . (with the exception of those DWOD (downwindoutdoors) guys that knock 'em over like tin cans. If you guys think that eradicating coyotes from the NY landscape entirely will help your beloved deer population on your properties will increase your odds then whack away. There will be another...bigger...better.. less intimidated by humans predator that will take his place. It's hard enough to find an efficient yote killer during the winter months, and I'm sure the novelty would wear off real quick with a swarm of skeeters buzzing around your heads while your sweating your nuts off during the summer months. Some guys here are dedicated to predator hunting, but for the most part, most here aren't driven enough to target them while big game seasons overlap no matter how deep the hatred runs. Another hairy predator will soon step in to take the coyotes place as soon as you think you've got it all under control. Yotes have an appetite for those white footed mice that seem to be the primary carrier of ticks that carry lyme disease. Take your pick of what is more threatening to your woods I guess.

Hey just to let you guys know they’re not getting rid of WMU’s. when you apply for your DMP’s you still would apply for say 8m or 9p all that will be the same. They are just grouping WMU’s from the same geographic area. You may see different reg’s for some zones. If anything they are trying to micro-manage the states deer herd.

...and when food source become too low... coyotes will move the family unit to a new habitat with more plentiful food supply (small game) and easier prey.

Whether or not you have a problem doesn't necessarily relate to how many coyotes you have... there are many many factors that come in to play. Habitat size (not just your property, but total habitat in the area.), amount of small game and rodents in that habitat (ie. available food source), number of good fawning areas, disruption of the family unit... and other factors. Deer may be on the menu depending on the other food sources available... but for the most part coyotes fair well in most habitats on smaller game and USUALLY forego the effort needed to take down larger prey. Having more than one good fawning area in a habitat reduces fawn kill by making it harder for coyotes to pinpoint the birth place of fawns on a regular basis... the myth of coyotes decimating deer on a regular basis is just that a myth... there are only rare isolated cases where they really are a problem, usually in smaller habitats where there are limited other food sources other than deer... or where weather conditions make the deer especially vulnerable.

I'd bet if the OP had posted a trail cam pic of two yotes together in that field, he could have kept the same title for this post. The way many of you are talking is that one coyote on your property would be one too many, so my response was directed towards that way of thinking. I spend a ton of time in the woods through all 4 seasons, and I see plenty of coyotes. I also see an abundance of many other species that should be non-existent if I go by some of the responses I see here. Really don't matter to me how you guys handle things in your woods, but I'm here to tell you, until you get out there and really pay attention to what's going on with the big picture, it wont make much sense anyhow. I am not anti-coyote hunting by any means. I think they are beautiful animals, and exciting critters to watch, and challenging animals to hunt.... within the regulations.

Back in the observation stand yesterday evening. Had a good flow of does starting around 6pm, then had a nice bachelor group of bucks stroll by me.

As much as I like my 6 man Eureka Outfitter tent, if it was damaged behond repait I'd get a dome tent of some sort to replace it. I think........... I've had my tent in some brutal winds and survived but it's been seriously tied down and a prayer or two tossed into the mix. Seems like my buddies dome takes the wind much better............

I'm just surprised that killing something to stick on a wall is worth that kind of cash to somebody.................but by the looks of it, it's gonna probably cost him a lot more when this is done.

I have to reject the shark guys contention that all members of the NRA and other organizations have no ethics. This is just plain dumb.

To be fair, this video does illustrate some questionable practices. Although the commercial killing of seal and whales would not fit my description of hunting. And on a personal note, I have no interest in hunting large carnivores, or using dogs to do so. I don't find it sporting or necessary. I am a lover of big cats too, and would not get any pleasure from killing one. Other people feel differently, that's OK. I can only speak for myself. Curmudgeon may get a kick out this, but I would have trouble killing a coyote. It would have to become a real problem animal for me. Why are these animals different to deer for me? I can't really say. I think it might have something to do with their reaction to pain and how they manifest suffering. I have a few cats. It tears up me when they are sick and injured. Their reactions are quite pitiful. Deer of course are equally magnificent in their own way, but I eat them, and therein also lies a difference. I personally need to have a practical pay-off to justify taking an animals life. Shooting something for fun or as trophy isn't enough for me. I cannot watch bear hunt videos. Especially over feeders. It just grates with my own personal value system. I hate to see puma's or bobcats killed. Cats and big cats are pretty amazing animals for me. Maybe my ideas are contradictory, it's possible, but some types of hunting just leave a bad taste in my mouth, and I know other Hunters who feel the same way.

LOL - to summarize - put a stand every 50yds around the field. AND don't forget 30 plus cameras.

@jjb, that's why I added the never mind ( NM LOL ). I edited after you posted. @Mike, I see your point. You are worried you bought it, will fill your tags with the vertical bow and not get to use the crossbow.

Let me repeat that I really like this property. It's very huntable. Pressure as noted changes things, so you must take that into consideration. Second, I left out the hedge row based on the fact you said it was a ditch. I summarize my thoughts on it in two words - hunt it. Set-up in between two corn field this fall, this area will have significant deer traffic and will most certainly result in some potential beds. In ag land, nothing beats a swale irrigation ditch or thin hedge row for bedding. The biggest bucks I have ever jumped in ag land have almost always been around wooded points into corn or ditches/hedgerows/breaks between corn fields. Second, this creek provides ultimate access and could serve as a potential hard break with which you could potentially hunt more often and pressure without doing damage. The key is access. In theory, this creek is essentially in a large funnel. On a W or SW wind, which is probably predominant, you can access the creek at the N or S points and never set foot on the ground west of the creek. This would allow you to hunt the heck out of it come rut time. You burn minimal ground, even though the area east of the creek is also part of that funnel. A is overlooked because it is near the road and at a bend of homes. If deer can cross that major road, this adds another dimension to the funneling effect. Either side of the creek needs to be inspected. I, H, J, and E are all the same story, part of the funnel. Both sides of creek need to be inspected. Ideally with a W or SW or even NW wind, you can have a stand on the east side of the creek and shoot across it, or vice versa for other winds. Walk the length of the creek and look for crossings. There are likely crossings around A I and H because they lead to woods either across the street or the bend in the woods. B is a good area funneling deer between the corn, the ditch/hedgerow, and the creek. You may find beds here and in between B and J. F is a little point in the woods where deer will cross the field. If your drawing is accurate, there is no corn directly above F and if so...that area is going to have alot of action similar to the ditch if there is swale or unfarmed ground. If the whole field is corn, meaning that little open area above F is too, it's still going to get some action. C is another similar story only it adds the funneling effect of the ditch/hedgerow. D plays on the cattle being fenced in. Deer are lazy and will take the quickest/easiest route to get to another spot in some situations, which is why funnels kill. Deer will transgress the corn, exiting and entering. The cattle fencing pinches down a spot right where the deer will first have a chance to get to the corn. As a bonus, I'd walk the entire line where the corn meets the cattle fencing. This likely may result in swale grass or travel routes. It might even not get alot of pressure or visibility to hunters, and you may find beds there. G would be better more WSW than it is, but borders are what they are. You have a double inside corner pinching down, creating another prime spot. With SW winds, you might catch bucks moving through that funnel. I would expect if there is hunting on the adjacent property, that there is someone in that pinch, so look out for signs of pressure that might be forcing the deer to one side of the pinch, etc. It might tip you off to making a play on that info based on the pressure from that hunter.

Sorry, but I just about lost it LOL in my office on that one.

Phenomenal property to hunt! Wow...does that ever lay out nice. Some good advice here so far.

The worst part is when they come in and bed down just out of range...then I have to sit there and wait a very long time...only to have them stand stretch and walk the other way

Oh boy! let me just step right in it here....I remember a couple of years ago when a certain famous hunter with a guide got caught doing something illegal...and holy Cow guys here and on a half dozen other hunting sites all but crucified him...I really find the reactions funny...guess it pays to be a not so famous guy than a famous one when getting caught in something.

The sweet garlic relish and pickles are good on venson burger.

I had a lot of fun with the hornet on my contender many years ago, but I switched to the .221 fireball and never looked back.

If their's a 140, 8 point or larger; a 130 pound babyless doe all within range, I will shoot the 140 any day of the week to fill my buck tag, if given a good shot and in season, of coarse. I will shoot the doe, if the buck isn't a sure thing, to fill a doe tag. All this is heavily dependent of my attitude for the day. I let smaller younger bucks walk by, observing them. This is why deer hunting is pretty dam inportant, to me. Now, fire away.

actually it looks like he crippled it with an arrow and 40 hours later they killed it with a gun...........but, the whole story stinks, from the hunt itself to the guy being crucified and attacked by the antis.

1 was taken on the NYC land off of Horsepond...no AR there 2 were taken off the NYC property off rt 301. One the year before they went to AR, the other the year they went to AR. now that property is over run with spikes and fork horns. all the 8 point genes have been taken out...the only breeding bucks left are rang horns...the property is not as good as it was 10 years ago...it used to be a big buck paradise..now its a fork horn oasis

yep, unless you normally store your guns stuffed in a barrel with 50 other guns......

As far as the DMP allocations, they can offer 88 million tags in some units, but if hunters are grabbing them up it means nothing....that's what the DEC is dealing with in some units, notably in Region 8.....they've all but air-dropped DMPS but they aren't "selling" them all.....so they are looking at other means of getting the kind of antlerless harvest they want.....along the way they are overlooking – or maybe just realizing they can't control – the issue of access.....they're basically trying to manage something they have no control over.....if hunter can't get to the deer they are powerless....

Just realized that the article I read on CNN is different than what Burt posted a few hours ago. The one I read calls for a ban while Burt's doesn't. It seems like the story is growing feet already in only a few hours! http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/29/africa/zimbabwe-cecil-the-lion-killed/index.html

So I see you didn't watch it either....hhhmmmm BTW ..should you decide to watch it...take special note that the deer in the UNIVERSITY STUDY were 3yr olds..I'm on my PC now so here is the link to make it easier: http://www.growingdeer.tv/archive/#/whitetail-antlers-and-genetics-fact-or-fiction

it would be quicker for me to tell you what doesn't thrill me about deer hunting........the list of why I do it, and what I find exciting about it is too long.

Lol. Pretty simple question really. Now if the truth is told will be the next thing!

Wooly, on a serious note now; are you surprised to see that many bucks in your area? The winter kill numbers looked to be pretty high there. Of coarse' only the strong survive.

Lots of nice shotguns are collecting dust with all the new rifle legal counties! I hope I NEVER use mine again!

I WANT YOU ALL TO GO TO GROWING DEER TV AND WATCH THIS WEEKS SEGMENT. PERHAPS WE SHOULD ALL E MAIL THE LINK TO HURST AND THE GOV. OFFICE...

Sold to kot.

ATBs, bacon wrapped scallops, pork ribs, beef short ribs, wild pork shoulder, wild pork loin, and a 3 pound Bologna. Burp

I have to make some qualifications... I LOVE wingshooting...There is no better wingshooting IMHO than waterfowl hunting...Upland game such as pheasants, grouse and woodcock also rate high on my list... However, where I live, opportunities for good wingshooting are very limited..I get maybe a day or two of good duck shooting, then it's over...Upland shooting is also very limited here.. SO, considering the hunting that is available to me, here is my list... I have been a passionate spring turkey hunter over 40 years, and I have good gobbler hunting right at my doorstep, so I'd have to rate spring turkey hunting as #1.. I love to hunt squirrels and they are my favorite small game meat...Hunting pressure for them is very light and I can easily put 30 to 40 of them in the freezer per season, making for many tasty meals... I also love to hunt rabbits with beagles, and although I don't have any dogs myself, a couple of my friends have them and welcome me to hunt with them..Rabbits are also high on my list as table fare..I'd have to rate squirrels and rabbits as a tie for # 2... Deer are a distant #3 place....If I didn't love venison and were not accustomed to have 2 or 3 deer in the freezer each year, I'd probably spend deer season doing something more fun, like hunting small game or fishing...

spend some money and set up some trail cams. look for pinch points and funnels. and existing runs from the bedding zones to food. STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE BEDS. can't stress that enough. Understand the wind and understand you need them under 30 yards. you can actually modify runs so you can get a good stand in if necessary. the deer will end up using the path of least resistance.

#1- shed antlers

I'm a big fan of straight wall tents. Eventually the wife and I are gonna bite the bullet and get a canvas cabin tent ,maybe 8x10 or 10x10.

Rob - I will remain a skeptic. I will continue to question such things. You are anonymous. You are on the internet. Reason and science are often in short supply around here. VJP - Ecological harm? Where did that come from? The ecological harm came from not having any large carnivores. There was lot's to eat and nothing except humans eating it, unless it starved and the scavengers got it. Humans have failed miserably at eating enough of the lower food chain mammal species in suburbia and areas that were marginal farmland, now reverting to forest. Coyotes do not exceed the carrying capacity of an area. They establish clear territories within which only one pair breed. All others are driven out. Killing one or both of that dominant pair causes a disruption of the social order. This often results in the creation of multiple smaller territories. Killing them is self defeating. But as my wife likes to say "Curmudgeon, stop making sense!" I will admit that they can have a significant impact on deer in the forest preserve and areas of heavy lake-effect snow. In many earlier posts I have qualified my statements in that way. The suitability of those areas for deer is a whole different conversation. In ME you guys can hunt them all year except during deer season. At a conference earlier this month in Rangeley, one of your state wildlife officials I was talking to called it "a hopeless war on coyotes". Nothing is being gained from a 24/7 - 9 month hunting season that extends through whelping season. I have not spoken to a professional wildlife manager with a modern education who believes anything is gained from the general persecution of predators. That statement does not deny individual problems with endangered species or encounters with people.

Rob - That is so 19th century. So simple. I've read a number of your posts. This is extreme - even for you. They aren't hell dogs, they are God's dogs. Have you ever taken the time to watch them, or do you just shoot first and not ask questions later? The deer are eating grouse and turkey eggs. The squirrels are famous nest predators. Should we annihilate them too to save those birds? The coyotes are killing mesopredators, esp. foxes, which eat more rabbits, game birds and squirrels than the coyotes do. You get a net increase in ground nesting birds from more coyotes. This still ignore the obvious. It is impossible in the real world to reduce coyote population. So why do this? You have a bunch of angry guys killing coyotes with no net gain. This is just emotional release. Work a heavy bag. It is healthier. The photo is from Columbia County. I don't have the 2014 numbers at my fingertips but in 2013, 50% of the harvested deer were antlerless. Anyone who thinks they can get more deer by killing coyotes when DEC is working so hard to reduce numbers is not making any sense. It's a fools errand.

You're the only guy I know that is happy his girlfriend gave him CRABS!