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Well..... I just shot a spike..he looked tasty! I happen to be sitting on my own/family property that I've hunted my whole life... I have never shot a buck on it.. I have seen and passed untold #s of 1 1/2 year old bucks over the years. Meanwhile my family and all the neighbors shoot piles of them... So I decided , what the neck, if I cannot beat them I might as well join them... I was really lucky.. he stepped out at 20 yds ...and click! Dam ! I forgot to put primer back in.. I managed to sloooowly get one out of my pocket and into my gun while he is looking everywhere but up..( good thing I wasn't on the ground)bam!! One shot in his neck...and there he is, the brown spot next to true trail in the pic.

I always believed there was no such animal as a truly "BIG 6pt" until I found these on my hunting grounds. I got a little more interested in 6pts after this. Never set eyes on him before or after this find. 8" gnarly bases, and some of the deepest vein canals I've ever seen on an antler around here.

This is the biggest 6 I ever saw.. Got it with the bow a couple years back... The very long brow tines are actually split main beams on both sides...

Me left moog5050 right.

Knife I had made for me by Denn Handmade Knives in the ADK's... every part of the knife is from NY... ADK deer antler.. hand forged and finished blade.. the handmade leather sheath even has a stamp of a deer hoof made form a 100 year old ADK railroad spike.

Certainly not as big as some of the 6pts seen above but this is my coolest 6pt. Some of you might remember these pics from two (IIRC) years ago. This buck was a stud, 182lbs (IIRC) and aged at 3.5 by the DEC but I kind of doubt it. This is one buck I should have had aged the scientific way, after I did the European mount on him I could see even more interesting characteristics in him. His skull was wider in girth than any other buck I've killed and did a European mount on. The glands and facial structure were much more pronouced also. He has mass and width but lacked tines! 18" inside........ Honestly, he is one of the coolest bucks I've ever shot.

This guy would have scored pretty well for a 6 if he hadn't broken his g2 off. Still a solid buck. Everyone seems to like the prototypical 8s but a big 6 is pretty darn cool.

Sounds like the Liberal distribution of wealth ........ pay for those that can't afford it . Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine !

12-9-14 Late season success on the timbered edge of a goldenrod field. I sat on my stump daydreaming about shed season and all the antlers I'd be scooping up from the field behind me in the coming months. I had a sudden snap back to reality at 3pm when all of a sudden out of nowhere movement woke me up 25yds in front of me. This guy was casually following behind a young doe fawn and she led him right by me at 15yds before the ML swept him off his feet. He piled up about 40yds away, and when I arrived at his carcass I discovered he knocked an antler off when he crashed. I grabbed a few quick picures, and with sunset fast approaching I made a quick run home to grab a sled to make the drag out a little easier and protect his antler that was still attached. At home I realized I had this bucks antlers from last season which I included in these pics, and that I killed him just over 100yds away from where I had found those antlers last spring. This was the kind of hunt that made me thankful I could appreciate some of the finer points of the hunt without the size of the antlers clouding my excitement over him!

Picture doesn't do him justice . He is a big 1 1/2 year old north country deer.. 135#s all day.. the bucks don't have to go far here in farm country to find good feed and all the does they can chase with very little competition.. the buck to doe ratio is terrible.. And now I joined in ....Lol.... It is fun to shoot deer regardless, though....[emoji3]

Ha, many many years ago I was crossing a beaver swamp. Ice had nice coat of snow on it. Well I found out the hard way. Beavers had wore ice thin right in the middle of their run. I'm quickly in 4 feet of water wearing snowshoes. Dang scary ! We were trapping muskrats. Gloves were soaked trying to paw my way back out. I skinned 2 muskrats and wore them fur side in as mittens. Had a good mile and a half trek back to car. I laugh now but what could have been wasn't so fun at the time

I was leaning against a tree this morning in north central PA, hoping a buck would walk by...I saw a bird flutter down to the snow near me and then fly back up to a nearby tree..It was an eastern bluebird..Then I saw another, and another...Soon I was in the middle of a whole flock of bluebirds.. 30 degrees F and 8 inches of snow on the ground and I was surrounded by what was certainly a migrating flock of bluebirds. This is latest I have ever seen them this far north. I have no idea what they were eating, but they were flying down to the snow covered forest floor and getting SOMETHING, and then flying back up in the trees..They stayed around me for about an hour..It gave me something to watch, because the deer weren't moving much. Saw a big momma doe and two fawns, but she was safe from me since I already filled my PA antlerless tags.

I must say Ive been truly blessed in 2014...started off with a nice limit of geese over cut corn on 9/13 followed by a beautiful bear on the 14th.... bowhunted hard in oct with no luck on a buck, but did get a decent gobbler from the stand to christen in my new Martin Nemisis...after seeing nothing but groups of does for 5 weeks I scored on my best bow buck to date, a 19"wide 2.5y/o 8pt.... no luck on opening day of gun but the next day I scored my 1st handgun kill with a nice doe at 70yds(missed 2x @ 50 lol) with my S&W 29... Nov 30th I killed my best gun buck, a heavyish 3.5 y/o 8pt ......with the freezer busting at the seams I was feeling greedy and gonna pack it in, but yesterday I decided to jump in the stand and score a little "give away meat" with a transferred dmp. Got busted by a FAT doe with 3 fawns around 9.. at 10 I almost decided to pack it in when a group of 3 mature does came into range and I double lunged the biggest one at 20yds very enjoyable late season bowhunt with snow on the ground ....I gotta say this was my best season in my 15 years of hunting and still cant believe my luck, but what Im most thankful for and proud of, was that all kills were quick and clean and required zero tracking.

Very simple...There is never anytime when I feel so FREE from life's everyday worries and woes than when I am hunting or fishing.. My mind is occupied with what I am doing, whether calling a turkey or finessing a smallmouth with a hair jig..

I wouldn't call it a fascination, but I like big 6's too. Here is my biggest 170lbs. dressed

I shot this buck on 11/30/14 in the Adirondacks (Hamilton County) after tracking him for 4 hours 23 minutes (I originally claimed 5.5 hours in a FB post, I was incorrect according to my GPS) and covering 5.2 miles. I missed (deflected bullet) him once about halfway through the journey, but was able to connect when he got distracted by a doe and followed her across an opening in front of me. After shooting him I realized I had trail cam pictures of him last year over 2 miles from where I took up his track this year. These big woods bucks have large ranges! This was probably the most memorable hunt I've ever had, and boy did I have to work for it! Based on last year's trail cam pics and his tooth wear, which was at least as much as the 5 year-old 8pt (cementum annuli aged) I shot about a mile from there in 2012, I estimate this buck to be at least that old as well, perhaps even one year older. I will send his teeth in too to confirm. Gross green score of 131 and change. Brows are over 5 and 7" and bases are just shy of 5". The picture(s) I posted on FB last week generated a lot of comical comments about practicing shooting more, aiming better, and only taking ethical shots. Those folks don't realize that tracking is not blood trailing. They don't go 5.2 miles after a heart shot either. With tracking, you follow the buck BEFORE you shoot it... P.S. I wrote a much more detailed story of this hunt but I am going to see if I can get a magazine to buy it. They require it be unpublished material, which unfortunately includes posting it on an internet forum. If things go well, hopefully I will be able to post the story at a later date. (Sorry NYantler) Not something I normally look at, I thought this graph of my walking speed was interesting. (From GPS) Trail cam pics from 2013: Making a mock scrape:

Sears has a heated camo jacket on sale 159.0 marked down to 49.0 but battery and charge not included....just letting any cold hunter out there know.. heres a link... http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_009VA78665912P#reviewsWrap

Most wanting more bucks to hunt aren't looking for mature deer. They want it to be way easier to kill 2.5 and 3.5's.

Populations would explode... unless of course we doubled the number of hunters... which I don't see happening if you take away tags and hunting days... adding more bucks to the equation and having less days to hunt with the ever diminishing habitat.. would be horrible for NY deer hunting... it might create bigger bucks for a while until there is no food left for the deer to eat because of over population. We are not other states... not the same types of habitats, not the same amount of habitat, not even the same kind of hunting in some cases, deer densities are different... we could go on forever. I'm guessing that since you didn't mention bow hunting anywhere...you're for filling in the voids made in the two gun seasons with more bow hunting... the whole thing sounds a little self serving to me.

NY needs to follow PAs mentor seasons. You take the child when you feel they are ready. Started my kids at age 9 in PA. It's a shame that a kid must wait until 14 to gun hunt got deer in NY.

Something like this little guy would do just fine...

Slight drizzly in 9g....had to park on side of the road because it was to risky with the depth of the snow to get the truck and atv trailer stuck......sitting in a honey hole that hasn't been touched in a while.....lookin for sonething to stroll by .....wouldn't even mind a yote at this point!!

Not a good weekend so far! Drove 45 min south to hit a spot well 20 inches snow with ice on top nope back home in stand at 7:30 am. Lost my licenses yesterday!

Debunked? Sorry pal. How many hunters are shot each year? How many get hurt from stand falls? If you're about hunter welfare pursue the one that will make a much bigger difference not what fuels your agenda. "You're saved" not "your". Boy I better watch my forum posting because you just got me. "You're exactly what you were called out as" is the proper use of context. Versus "your points are all you want to hear or believe". It is liberal logic to think by mandating a coat color you will be safer. There is no guaranteed safety in hunting. As for other game seeing color; I know. That was my point. Left thinking again. Let's ban the bad guns and only good guns will be remaining. Ever wonder why it's the same guys who post on here? Because some folks act like arrogant trolls when their opinion is confronted to the point of discouraging participation. I am as sorry for disliking your point as you are mine. I do not want anyone to get hurt in hunting nor do you. Why do you want orange? Because you must hunt around idiots (which is pretty much inevitable in NY). Go the route others have and give in to finding private or leaving the sport. If the DEC passes a law its to write fines in the one in a million chance one of the 10 ECOs is there.... It won't save you or me. I am done. Kick my corpse all you want on this thread which I would bank on happening. Thanks for tearing me down on all my points and making the world a better/safer place. Your my hero. Cheers

here is an article somebody wrote that plays into this topic... http://www.humansandnature.org/hunting---jed-meunier-response-121.php

Hunting is an escape. It is one of the few thing's that can put me in the frame of complete happiness. Its about disconnecting with society, and finding who you are. I hunt because it is who I am, and what I love.

Can't speak about ALL MLs, but my T/C Triumph's breech plug port will only take a 0.019/0.020" gage pin. In a Triumph, the port has 3X diameter holes. Cleaning with Q-tips, pipe cleaners & a small diameter pin or wire is necessary. A shot of air helps, either canned air or from a compressor. I also use Triple 7 pellets and have never had a hang fire. BTW - Moisture is the worst enemy of any blackpowder during storage and useage. You know; Keep your powder dry! Also, there's a slight difference in primers, some are hotter than others. IE; Winchester T7 209 primers. Before loading any ML after cleaning, always fire a cap/primer only to clear debris &/or olis out of the port.

Santa is squeezing a Bear bow down the chimney this Christmas for my twin 9 year olds. I can't wait to set them up!

I should dust off my snowshoes and try them out .

I wasn't referring to you grow... I was referring to the thousands of hunters I have talked to over the years and my perception of most hunters based on those conversations... I have heard what you heard for almost 25 years its an ongoing theme with most hunters... I have a good idea that your not like most hunters. Sorry if it seem like I was implying that.

Nice one Wooly!

I didn't until now. Dam Wooly those things are huge!

I will try to make this short. It's not a simple question. My mother and Aunt were hunters and I thought that was so cool. Of course there were plenty of guys in the family who hunted but what is cool about that? I never really hunted until I had too. I was only successful at getting deer when I hunted with someone. Now that I hunt alone I am not so lucky at it. I say I squirrel and rabbit hunt but seem to just walk and sit around. I learn something every time I go out. I am also a calmer person. A few years ago I noticed earth waking up and the sunrises, both are worth getting out of bed for.

I soak my breech plug in hot soapy water it clears the hole up pretty quick

Yes it does. They've been that way every year... 2014: 2013: 2012:

Couple betters pics of the 2 year old from back in Sept... The buck in the background is still alive too...

This awesome little palmated yearling looks like he could be a Steuben County stud in a couple of years!!! [/url

He was next door eating my neighbors bushes last night. Too bad I'm in Amherst..... No action this morning so far Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So it is ok to unintentionally break a law? That's what I got out of that statement.

Archery 1 buck 1 doe, MZ 1 doe. Ok.

I also have an omega and use the same powder. I had a problem in the past and found that the breech plug port was somewhat clogged. I remedied this by using a small piece of wire thru the hole to clean it out and then test fired with primer only. Never had a problem since. Hole this helped.

I would rather compare shooting before or after legal shooting time to discharging your firearm at the range during a cease fire. Other nearby participants coordinate their actions to prevent fatalities and serious injury.

I had a great season. Killed a nice little six and a doe with the bow (new bow and first year with thumb release, glad I got to "test it out"), and a doe with the rifle. I mixed in some duck hunts and didn't stress out about missing time in the deer stand. Solid season. Ready for 3D now and late duck season

If you want to hunt a buck at camp then you probably shouldn't hunt north... I know many don't remember the old one buck rule with few party permits available for doe like when I first started hunting... but those that do.. know how good we have it now in NY as far as number of deer we can take and length of season compared to 35-40 years ago. I hunt both North and South... shot a buck north with muzzleloader and couldn't archery hunt for a buck for the rest of the regular bow season... its a trade off... you make a decision and you have to live with that decision... simple

If you DON'T feed the troll, they will die. Starve this one......................................................

Had my Best season ever took a 2) doe in NH one bow & on rifle & 1) 8 point Buck in NY bow + took the Rifle doe with my longest shot to date 165 yards with the Ruger American .308 still have a NH archery buck tag but our season ends Dec 15th & not sure if I will get out much

I shot my best buck yet.8-point, green scored a few inches lower than my best. A bit more spread & mass, longer brow tines,but lost out on G-2 & G-3 tine length. My '09 8-point had ridiculousy long tines for the overall size. Also, at 190#, within 29# of my heaviest buck from '04. I might have him mounted. I'm getting older & this is the 1st buck I've killed since my son started seriously deer hunting with me. He has a very symetrical rack.

Must be a wet drive.

Actually shot this guy the saturday prior to gun opener with the bow but couldnt find him. Was really bummed. Opening morning 10 min in he walked right up to me. 25 yrd shot only ran 40 yrd.

9 pt, 19 inch inside spread, dressed at 162. shot while still hunting, catt county.