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after two seasons of tag soup and an empty freezer I finally connected the other night. Just a scrub buck but I was glad to break the curse.

Best buck in my life I ever got was a 9 point. Shot him right in his bed while still hunting a deep ravine. I had no party permit at the time this happened, only my buck tag.This guy was very smart. When the hunting pressure got on him to where he had to leave where he was bedding In this deep ravine,, just below his bedroom there was a gully wash out that ran quite a bit towards the ravine bottom. The gully wash out was deep enough so that when he jumped into it, he was below the line of sight of any hunter. The buck could easily low crawl down the gully to a point where when he new it was safe. He would sneak forward out of the ravine and then cross the road to go into the woods on the other side . That morning, I went on watch at the end of the ravine before daylight.. Man, you talk about cold and frosty just trying to sit still there leaning up against the tree. I was in full blaze orange but I was also wearing long johns and checkered red and black wool pants to keep warm.The coat color was dulled out in orange because of the years of hunting use. Come 9:30 a.m. I started to still hunt into the ravine bottom at a very very slow pace. In the ravine bottom there was a active stream running to help cover up any sounds I may make. Of course you do your best not to. Now there was heavy tall pines running up the sides of this deep ravine. So every so often,I would slowly squat down and give a good look under them to see any deer that may be in my vision. This went on for better then half an hour. I came to a fairly deep gully run off.I slowly crossed the gully to where I could squat and take a look up under those pines. We,ll to my surprise I could see deer legs standing very still. Now remember that I had no doe take permit. Ok, I am a lefty so I shoot off of my left shoulder.This was to me perfect for this situation so I slowly raised my gun to the shooting position and then I did a slow frame side step to see the deer clearly. Holy crap, there was a huge deer standing very still on a very small plateau but I could not determine for sure if it was a buck.Behind the deers head there was all kinds of tree limbs. I had to wait till he moved his head.My sights were right behind his right shoulder and I said to myself as my heart was loudly banging in my ears , there,s no way this deer has a chance if it,s a buck. Then it happened. The buck new something was up so he very very slowly turned his head.It seemed like a eternity before he did move. and then I new, boom the 12ga. went moving a 1oz. remington slug at his shoulder, then he took one bound toward the ravine the one I had just crossed.I racked in another slug knowing he was all mine.I quickly paced up to his bed and looked into the gully. and there he was just where he jumped, dead. The slug went through behind the right shoulder and just stopped under the skin on the other side. Perfect I thought. It was over. A beautiful heavy beam 9 point buck. This was in southern tier N.Y. near Cameron Mills, N.Y..

The caption of this picture was "We saw his star in the east, & have come to worship him". It made me think about how thankful I am, that I get to share such a wonderful part of my life, with such great people. We come from all walks of life & we disagree often, but we all unite on a love for God's creation. Outdoorsmen, I think, have a unique understanding of our bond to our Creator & the natural world. As we look back at the year, let's be thankful for our time out there with family & friends, our harvests, & win or lose, just the blessing to experience it all. I see this group as a family. A dysfunctional family, but a family. Thanks for making me feel a part of you this year, & sharing your adventures with me. God willing, here's to many more!

You flagged down a car and a stranger agreed to help you drag the deer the rest of the way out? That was indeed your lucky day. You should have run right out and got a lottery ticket. What a great guy! It kind of refreshes your faith in mankind. Apparently there are some pretty good guys still left in the world. I'm thinking that most guys would have flipped you the bird and drove off. Others might have offered the use of their cell-phone to call somebody. Others might have offered to drive to or towards your camp to get help. But here a total stranger parked his car and walked in with you to help drag the deer to the road. That is amazing!

No such thing as "just" a scrub buck. Be thankful for, & proud of him, you worked hard for it! Nice job!

I hope many of us view ourselves as not just hunters or sportsman, but outdoorsman. I hope many of us appreciate and value the peace and beauty of the great outdoors. I believe we should be even more appreciative as our pheasant fields are turned into walmarts, and our golf courses built around our creeks. Anyhow, I don't understand why we leave behind the garbage that we do. I constantly pick up water and beer bottles near the public land I hunt left behind by fellow hunters. I also don't understand why a mostly conservative group tends to be the loudest voice against environmental regulations aimed at reducing pollution. Regardless of your opinion on global warming, anything we can do to preserve our earth should be welcomed. What we've already done with regards to polluted soil and water is fact. I know many of us remember not being allowed to eat the fish out of the Great Lakes. Please guys, as a group we need to do our part to keep are woods and our waters clean. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Well, the season is finally over...after 3 months of hunting I'm sitting at the dining room table with a cup of coffee thinking about some of the hunts. Some really comical with people busting up a hunt while grunting in a buck with their dog and on horseback coming right on top of me. Got to spend a lot of time in the woods and had a good time. Got my honey's "do" list ready to go for the day in preparation for the Christmas dinner. Got a good wife that puts up with a lot during hunting season! But I do have to admit the tag tastes like crap however you fix it! Have a great Christmas everybody and God bless you all with a healthy, peaceful new year! Jeff

Aaahhh.. yes the lasagna is about to get started, fresh mozzarella is in the marinade as are the peppers,mushrooms and sliced tomatoes. Bruschetta is made, Vanilla bean ice cream is made and in freezer,pepper mints soaking in cream for the peppermint ice cream. Will peel the granny smiths for the apple pie and bake both the blueberry and apple as soon as the lasagna comes out. I will be enjoying the day tomorrow and feel relaxed. 64 degrees, told the kids to bring their sneaks ,we are all going for a nice trail walk on Dec. 24......I actually love it! Well that just helped me to see what I may have forgotten....Merry Christmas

283 days until southern zone bow season 130 days until turkey season

My lab brought this up to the house today. Broken G2 and split brow tines. Pretty confident it is a fresh drop and the cuticle end hasn't calcified yet. Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

Don't confuse people refusing to be bullied into participating in a foolish, idiotic plan with refusing to do their part in harvesting deer. Those of us who see that doe-only, bowhunter-only, plan for what it truly is have no problem taking does. What we don't accept is the idea that doe harvests and deer population control is solely the responsibility of the smallest group of hunters shooting the most inefficient weapon. That plan and the way it was implemented cast a dark shadow over the credibility of the DEC sincerity about the problem.

I use Trojan Magnums over bore of ML barrel. I have no use for them otherwise Actually put piece of electrical tape over bore yesterday and today. Going to wipe down gun with oil now and pull breech plug to unload. Feed it into safe and await next year.

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A good friend in the super-blue state of California asked what he might need in order to defend his home and family from home invasion, and the like. I suggested a 9mm, a couple of clips, and a box of shells. A few days later he sent me this picture and asked me how to make it all work.

Backstraps

My youngest son drove past Tinker Nature Park on Calkins Road in Henrietta around 4 pm yesterday . He said he saw a dozen deer feeding in the open near the road . When he got home in Honeoye Falls , the back light was on and 5 deer were feeding by the garden . They know when they are safe !

Thin end of a fireman replacement wedge for a future minus guns? The Spidey senses are tingling on this one.

The fact is that many NYers would rather be living under Socialism in a European country, but they lack the fortitude to actually make the move. It's much easier and more convenient to just bring it here. Frightened children, all.

Ok, I hope you can see these pics. Top right is when I just got this buck out of the ravine. Top left is my buck hanging from camp porch , only one with horns..Look closely and you will see the slug tap on him right shoulder. ==================================================================================================== Middle right hanging was a 6 point I got the previous year. Middle left is inside the camp cutting up the limburger cheese. ==================================================================================================== Bottom right is the end of one of our opening days. Bottom left was a great day before me and my buddy started back home. We had filled all our tags. =================================================================================================== Froggy

Hello, I am 67yrs. I hunt NY because I have a real good friend that lived in the falls. we meet in the Army in the 60's and became good friends. We realy like the archery season. I hope I can share my knowledge with outhers.

Your disdain of coyotes is more about anecdotal observation than anything based in fact... but, what you do on your property is your business. Blaming the coyotes for doing what they do naturally when you are the one that introduced the livestock into the equation puts the onus on you not the coyote. The coyote was there first and only becomes a problem because of your actions. But, like I said.. your property your decision. You can justify it anyway you want to... but that doesn't make it factual. As for coyote vs. deer, habitat and other game animals... they are no more dangerous than man... that is a fact!

This little guy has been through the wars. Feisty feller. He made it though! First post season Buck. We need a thread!

There is a difference between hunting and population control. I'm curious how many on here have actually run coyotes with dogs? I know a group of guys that run yotes in the winter and its not as easy as walking up and putting a bullet in their heads. A fair share still elude the dogs. Its funny that this yhread went from most people hating coyotes and using any means necessary to eradicate to now worrying about how sporting the kills are...Is running hounds less sportsmanlike than using poisons? Is it less sportsmanlike than killing a coyote caught in a trap? How about the guys down south that run deer with dogs, are they not hunters? It may not be your style of hunting but saying they aren't hunters because you don't agree with them is ridiculous. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Correct. In my experience, Anyone that has land or a farm, or lives in the country does not like coyotes. Of course there are people that do but no one that I have personally talked to. Regardless, my response was geared more towards the fact that it seems much easier to get permission to hunt coyotes than other game species.

It literally feels like I'm the only guy deer hunting in 9J today. What a bunch of fair weather sissies

My favorite critter to hunt! The size ..... The power ..... the unpredictable temperament .... The taste of the meat ..... And for all the bone addicts, what an impressive set of head-gear! You can all keep your wimpy little elk with their sissy pathetic squealy voices. make mine moose every time.....lol.

I had one hell of a time dragging this buck up the ravine hill. There was at least 4 inches of fresh snow to make the ground a little slippery. I filled out my tag first then i took my buck knife and opened him up. The piss bladder was full so I lifted the bladder out of the deer,s body and held it from behind with one hand faceing the bladder away from the deer. With my other hand I took my knife and poked a hole in the bladder. This nicely drained the bladder ok. Then I finished up gutting this guy.I bagged the heart and liver and put these organs in my back pack now came the dragging fun part. man this took a long time to get this buck up the ravine wall. when i got where the incline got real steep I had to put one foot against any of the small tree,s , stand up all the way , take up the rope slack and then fall backwards while pulling with my body weight to move the deer up the hill. Over and over I did this. I,m 6 foot 2 inches tall and my body weight then was around 235 lbs.. If i had been a small frame person i do not think I could have made it out without help. close to the top, I tagged the deer and tied the rope to a tree . then i waved a car down to ask for help. The guy said ok, the only question he asked me was : Is the deer tagged. Yes sir, I replied so he helped me finish up and we got the buck on the edge of the road. I shook his hand to thank him and he nodded no problem. Now i had no camera on me but later at camp i did take some pic,s. we were staying at the Canesteo rod and Gun club.probably 11 guys all together. We slept on our own cots that we brought with us from home.Plus any other usual hunting gear.i will work on posting some pic,s later to add to this hunting story. Be patient till i post these pic,s and i hope you guys enjoyed this hunting adventure with me.I will never forget the buck fever i experienced even though I had all ready taken many deer over the past years, but this was truly different. man my heart was just pounding in my ears waiting for that buck to move his head to be sure that this guy had horns. Froggy

When these idiots start paying my taxes they can start using my land to run their dogs! I'm not a huge coyote hunter as I'm usually too busy fishing or snowmobiling but when when I do go out I like there being a few to hunt. I have found more tracks from their dogs chasing a deer than I have of them chasing coyotes. Now when I see them driving around I get on the wheeler and ride around my land and make sure not one of them come on it and I try my damnedest to chase the damn dogs off it too. Last year their dogs had a coyote bayed and I shot it and they wanted "their" coyote and I told them they can have it as soon as I get "my" trespass fee for their dogs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Again, it is clear to understand that you have more on the line than most other hunters when it comes to depredation of your herd. In most cases I think the houndsmen are not hunters at all, especially when their dogs are free to run across any parcel of property that they want. Some of us enjoy "hunting the hunters" and take it just as seriously as deer hunting. It is a very fulfilling accomplishment to take a predator at it's own game. So to hear of these houndsmen who don't have the gumption to play fair and kneel down in a field @ 1Am and try out their patience and shooting ability on a hungry adversary, I can't think of much more of a disrespect to wildlife. As a matter of fact, I challenge any hunter on this site to explain why he/she thinks that running any animal to complete exhaustion with multiple rotations of fresh dogs is in fact hunting. Sent from my LGL16C using Tapatalk

And where are the pictures? We want pictures!!!

12-22-15 Woke up and made my daughter's lunch and then had breakfast. Wasn't in a huge hurry as it was raining pretty steady. I went to the in laws to hit the honey hole across the street. I skirted it on Saturday afternoon as not to disturb it, in hopes that today it would produce. My FIL was going to meet me down there so I headed in a little after 8am. I still hunted my way in and ended up bumping 2 bedded deer on the edge of a briar thicket. They headed right into the hemlock where I was heading. I continued slowly and about 150yds later I came to a small creek bed. I took a step and up jumped a single deer on the other side about 30yds out. It stopped behind a group of trees and then bolted. Continued to work my way around, stopping and scanning. My FIL finally texted me at 11:15 and said he was coming down and to watch the area as he bumps deer in there coming in. I watched and only saw him. We pushed a few sections together trying to get something moving but to no avail. He went up the hill the way I entered to hunt that section and I stayed low. At 1:15 I was soaked through my coat and sweatshirt so I headed to the house to dry out. Clothes in dryer, so I went to the shop and deboned a hind quarter, and trimmed up the backstroke from the button on Sunday. Then went back out at 2:30 as the sun came out. Headed in the way my FIL did at 11. Got down to a nice spot and decided to stand and wait for natural movement. Never happened. At 4:15, I made a big circle and headed out. Almost made it to the road and up jumped a deer and took off down the hill. Must've came down after I entered the woods and was standing below. Was a great day in the woods even though I am all soggy and all my gear as well. Fired the ML and then cleaned it up tonight. It is back in the cabinet until next fall. I hope everyone enjoys Christmas and New Years with family and friends.

Yes, two years wouldn't surprise me but most certainly at least a year. It sure as heck isn't from this year! Probably kin of the 10pt the OP hunted this year.

Baked chicken, scalloped potatoes and salad. Finally scored a deer the other night so back straps are coming soon!!

The last time I saw a crow picking away at a maggot infested purple, runny, oozing, hairless, stinking, deer carcass, I kind of made a promise that that was one critter that I will not be eating.

Shot this nice 8pt in Tompkins County WMU 7H on Nov on Nov 25th at 4pm. Shot him with my 12 Gauge Single Shot H&R.

Here she is I'll take it on the last day

Well I had to really put up a stink with GE and they finally covered my wilson bill of almost $300. I then called home depot and was able to get $150 hd credit. Better than nothing I guess.

Venison burgers with balsamic vinegar caramelized onions and s slab of sharp cheddar cheese.

DEC = Deer Environmental Culling? Backwards CED Cull EVERY Deer! Much better. They do not manage deer, the only concern is eliminating them. Great way to manage deer! And if you do not manage to cull enough of them we will do it for you at night time with silencers so you do not even know.

Exactly what I was going to say....lots give them air gun hunting rights as we can take away their real guns....and I'm not a conspiracy theorist usually but this comes at a time when it's gotta be in the back of all out headsSent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I've spent more for other guns. I'd love to give one a shot. Some of those airguns don't look safe act compliant.

Camo umbrella overhead helps. I have a Bushnell 3200 Elite that has rainguard that was fine yesterday. Other scoped guns I have I tuck under my muff for my hands. Keeps the scope dry and clear and I'm not going to drop it as I'm indirectly holding onto it. What about those flip up scope covers.?Have them on a .22 and they flip up very quick and easy.

my 9h was attempt at humor. My creek I cross was ankle deep yesterday morning before rain. It was past my knees on way out in afternoon. Joke was I was stuck there

you know, funny you say that. i found myself comparing the two and they are two totally different animals in comparison to upstate hill country and down state. And i only say this because i have done both for entire seasons, not just weekend get a ways. So when i was down on LI only coming up for a few day hunt for gun season, its hard to gauge the season as a whole. but being up here for 2 seasons now and actually putting in a ton of stand time, playing the wind for various sets and properties, i can really get a sense of how different it actually is. I see the ground and area I hunt here upstate by me is generally high pressure. There are a lot more variables of things that can really cause deer and movement to vary and change. Wind, Neighbors, Pressure, Predators and honestly i see predators having a large impact on hunter success. So yes, it is different lol. It took me many years to iron out good Long island hunting ground and a few after that to hone in on shooter deer BUT, I did it and consistently too every year. Around here we have some big deer also and many guys dont see them or even know they exist. My first year was tricky (2014) it was a learning curve and i had a lot of pooled data i collected on my own over that year but by year 2 (2015) I had put myself in some great areas and on some big deer and quite a few of them. Ehhh, hopefully 2016 is my year. Geno is over due lol. I find it up here to be easier to hone in on pinch points, elevation, transitions, staging areas, bedding areas and so on. I feel its all laid out like a map and if you know what youre looking for or take the time to understand things its actually not that hard to find them. Down on LI its generally flat, large portions of woods, trails every which direction, natural browse everywhere. So its a little bit more difficult to hone in on things you can upstate. On LI i have always clearly seen my phases,in a few spots you can always tell a lomst where you were in the season, example: seeking, chasing and so on. Up here you see small buck exercising doe here and there and then alot of night time activity when elevated human pressure is prevalent and then maybe a few bucks chasing here and there. I constantly find myself wondering where I am in the season without trying to guess due to the calendar days lol. I have my own theory on it all and I think it has a lot to do with fawn production and survival. With the last 6 or so years up by me being so mild, it doesnt really force these doe to worry about fawn survival for the following year since the cold and harsh snow always seems to hit after the season ends. Ill get into that another time lol perhaps over some beers with the boys after the season like you said. I game for that! you guys aren't far from me...

Grunting worked for me this year to call in my bow buck. I even had to use the snort wheeze when he wasn't willing to commit. Only worked when I saw him out of range heading the wrong direction at a trot. Blind calls did not seem to produce much. I didn't use any scents and rattling was not productive.

I heard from a buddy, that they found 30 dead deer up in the fairways/woods of Bluestone golf course in Oxford, NY. Just laid up and died during the winter. On another property he hunts he found 15 or so. Last winter was definitely a brutal one. That's why I'm not too upset about it being warm out this time of year. I think the deer deserve a break.

I could never stand hearing the name Smuckers. Even reading it, I feel a slight urge to kill.

It blows my mind that this announcement and post does not WAKE hunters up. You posted 14 pages about how many don't see the deer like you want to, or looking for a new place to bow hunt etc, and right under your nose an announcement comes up (as was predicted) that an all out war to basically wipe out deer is next. Bend over, we're too lazy to do anything about it so get ready for phase 3. So much for land values as I just purchased 257 acres and all it takes is one "stakeholder" to light up the fields in August and do just about anything they want. And you thought nuisance tags were bad? I'd love to see sportsmen organize and boycott buying licenses for a year or two. And the organizations that I thought would care (such as QDMA) appear too stumped about which food plot to plant next to care there will be few deer to eat at it. Never mind we just had two record severe winters and numbers are clearly down. NY could have widespread EHD and they would move on with their proposal.

I agree that people way overestimate coyote populations, they hear 2 or 3 and swear there are 40 of them, they see coyote tracks on the snow (coyotes travel far and wide), they reach for a reason to blame "dwindling" deer numbers... First off if you feel that way then ask yourself, "Am I doing anything to address the problem?" I coyotes hunt quite a lot in the winter and I have NEVER come across a fellow coyote hunter/trapper. I love coyote hunting and i take every one that gives me the opportunity but i don't begrudge them for existing. Secondly some people seem to HATE coyotes for some unknown reason, is it because they are too smart for you to kill? Is it because they take a few deer a year in order to survive? Are we as hunters in any way, shape or form more entitled to these deer than the animals that depend on the occasional deer for survival? The coyotes are not slaughtering off your deer. In the spring the fawns are certainly vulnerable but after that its rare that a coyote could take down an adult deer in good health. An intense, quick deer rut is the best defense against coyote predation on fawns. Its called "predator swamping." Coyotes will never go away and I'm glad, if you've never tried matching wits with coyotes on their terms then I suggest you try it. If you think deer are cagey you're mistaken. Besides, if coyotes are so overpopulated how hard could it be right? Give it a try... That's my rant for the day. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Do you know the difference between erotic and kinky ? Erotic is when you tickle her with a feather... Kinky is when you use the whole chicken...