Leaderboard

A cousin closed the book wednesday afternoon on a buck that's been a family legend for the past 3 yrs. I believe this deer is at least 7.5 yr old and has been over 160" for the past three years at least. He grossed 158 as a 8-pt with a broken brow. His G2s were 13 and 14", the longest I can remember seeing in my area of Steuben County! RIP old boy. May your offspring survive to maturity...

Little Zeek strikes again. Thanksgiving 10pt.

Last year... :2020: He dressed a lean, run-down 175lbs but has the largest neck/cape that I've ever had in to mount... .

I’m hunted yesterday morning. Had to pack it in early because of bills game and dinner at 3. I didn’t see a deer but it was the most eventful 4 hour sit I’ve had in a long time. Across the ravine I see a long bushy tail . It was quick. I figured small yote. Boy was I wrong. I hear a weird growl and screech from in the gully. I see some movement coming up it’s a porcupine. He’s waddling quickly. Being chased by a fisher. I’ve never seen a fisher before. The fisher got whacked by the pine. This interaction with the fisher lasted about 45 minutes. Great day for sure.

Jesus Christ blessed me with an almost perfect “dmp” tag buck today. 2-3/4” spike on the left and 1” on the right. Now, I can still hunt for the big one later this weekend, up in the nz. He has always come thru in spades, when I am in need. We now have enough meat for our oldest daughter, who is moving back home in December. 37-1/4” chest girth. Oysters and fillet mignons are in the fridge, liver and heart are in the freezer, and carcass is hanging in garage, in near perfect hanging temps. I don’t feel so bad now, about missing my first opening weekend in 40 years, due to the Buffalo November blizzard of 22. Three antlerless deer came out in my turnip patch at 7:30 and I shot what I thought was the largest doe. So much for “tall tine tubers” . They ought to call them “tiny tine turnips”.

Not the biggest buck in the world, but I take him. Back to life It’s been a good season for me this year. Praising God for this harvest Happy Thanksgiving

I was very Thankful for this Thanksgiving morning dmp-tag buck this morning, after missing my first opening weekend of sz gun season, in 40 years. The wind was from the south, about 5 mph, when I headed out back, 1/2 hour before sunrise. I had showered with scent free soap and wiped my boots with Evercalm. As I walked back, to the south, along the hedgerow that my natural blind is in, I noted a dark shape up ahead about 150 yards away. It saw me at the same time, lifted its tail, and ran to the far side of the field. I continued to the blind. At about 15 minutes sunrise, deer began converging on my position from three different directions. I didn’t see antlers on any of them. The first “loner” that came out looked a little smaller than another, that was also closer. I swing around to the bigger one, which was in the middle of my turnip plot, about 50 yards away. I didn’t have a good rest in that direction (or I would have gone for a shoulder blade shot), so I held center lung offhand, and squeezed the trigger. The “buck” mule-kicked and bolted into a half-acre patch of brush. I had a shooting lane behind that, in the direction he went, which he never crossed. The doe that I heart shot, from the same stand, had ran into the same brush patch and dropped dead in that shooting lane, about 75 yards from where she took the 240 gr xtp from my .50 cal ml. This buck, that was double-lunged with a 12 ga Hornady sst, only made it about 50 yards, but was a lot tougher to find. Those damn things don’t make very big holes, and the blood trail, on the little bit of remaining snow, just about petered out after about 25 yards. After loosing that, I circled that little patch of brush and found no blood trails leading out of it. Going back to the last drop, I made a half circle and found that he had turned 90 degrees. He made it almost to the edge, where I found him, sprawled out. It took me almost a half hour to find him. Tale of the tape: left spike: 2-3/4”, right spike: 1”, chest girth: 37-1/4”. My favorite things about this deer are: 1) legal to tag with a dmp. 2) bucks are much faster for me to process than does, because they always have a lot less fat to trim out of the meat. 3) (2) Oysters (yum yum). 4) Get to keep the antlers.

Last Wednesday I decide to make a push to a friend and was going to make a wide round circle and stay about 30-50 yds inside the field edge. After I got away from my friend several hundred yards I decide to walk with the small doe bleat can in my hand and every 50 or so steps turn the bleat can over once. Sure enough not to far into my walk as I was heading down into a gully... from across the gully I hear walking and tending grunts. The buck was coming down the opposite side of the gully so I stood next to a tree and waited for him to come into sight. With snow the ground and with binos I could see a deer and identify horns through the trees. I dropped down on one knee and raised my rifle and through scope could see what he was. Turns out be small 8 with decent G2's (5-6") but just a crab claws on each side. I decided to let him go and he kept coming up my side of the gully saw me and took off. When I got down in the bottom of the gully I was overcome with the raunchy smell of rutting buck. I decide to continue my slow push and turn the bleat can over every 50 or so steps and didn't realize that at some point I began to push 8 doe ahead of me because when I got back to my friends stand he said - "well that worked out well, you pushed out 8 doe. They would only trot about 100 feet or so and turn around and look back, then trot another 100 feet and turn around and look back then finally they ran off." He said that I only came into sight not a minute after they fled.

Sitting out the rain in 5R

Opening day doe

Big bucks go nocturnal, but have to be somewhere during the daylight hours. That's why we stand hunt in the Am, do deer drives in the midday and stand hunt in the PM. After opening weekend when the hunting pressure dies down 95% of the bucks we shoot are during deer drives or when solo still hunting in areas we don't get to do drives. With the crunchy snow on the ground least week in Delaware county I couldn't still hunt without getting busted by deer a mile away, but the snow was great for the sitters on the drive for spotting deer. The warmer rainy weather has taken that all snow away now and I'll be still hunting this weekend, once I get done with some business and head upstate.

I think smart deer are always in thick stuff. I hunt where I can only shoot through holes, no open spots. They also absolutely become more nocturnal, smart old deer think with their stomachs now. Big storms and cold fronts get them up, and when the ground is quiet you can still hunt them, but seeing them cruise in the open is not as likely. In late season you may see some secondary rut cues around first/second week in december.

I was thankful for my smart phone yesterday, because I couldn’t remember if the “legal buck” tine length was 1” or 3”. It’s a bit confusing because the regs define antlers points as “longer than 1”. However, a “legal buck” must have at least one antler longer than 3”. This little guy had an inch on the right and 2-3/4 on the left, so legally, I was compelled to tag him, with one of the (3) remaining wmu 9F dmp’s, that I carried in my wallet. I was very thankful that I didn’t need to use my buck tag or I would be bear hunting up in the Dacks right now. It’s way too cold and snowy up here now for that, as I’m sure they are hibernated. After verifying on-line, what tag to use, I filled it out before I gutted him. I then walked back for my field car, to haul him to our garage. I put the filled out dmp tag back in my wallet for that trip, and didn’t attach it until he was hanging in the garage. I think that was “legal” because, although he was loaded onto a motor-vehicle, he was not transported on the road. I always try my best to follow all the rules but sometimes they get confusing.

I am up on the nw corner of the Adirondack park this morning (wmu 6c), seated under a shooting range shelter where my father in law stores tractor implements, on the edge of a 100 yard x 50 yard meadow. There is a light drizzel, it’s about 40 degrees, and the wind is from the south west at 10-15 mph. There was about 3 ft of snow in the woods last night, when we arrived. I’m hoping the warm temps today and the rain, will settle it down and put a frozen crust on top overnight. That will allow me to comfortably walk back to my favorite “big buck” hot-spot, tomorrow morning. Right now, I’m hoping that a 4-pointer or better, crosses on the 50 yard hoof trail that I see up-wind. I passed a spike buck on that trail from here on the second morning of nz gun season, a month ago. The hundred yard trail, that crosses at the far edge of the meadow, would be stretching it with my open-sighted Marlin 336BL. I don’t like taking my father in law’s scoped 336 out in the rain, but I’d much prefer that, if a buck crosses on that far trail. The in-laws have been seeing a group of 6-7 deer crossing almost every morning lately, between 7:30 and 9:30, but didn’t notice antlers on any of them, so I don’t expect much. Does are not legal here until late ML opens up in December.

My two for Thanksgiving week. The doe popped up when I was headed to a blind on Monday, and the buck stepped out on Wednesday. The buck is most likely a 2 1/2 year old 8 point. I’m extremely happy to have taken both of them after 2 years of basically not hunting, and with limited time to hunt this year!

Hey everyone, haven't been on here much with the new job and have had very little time off. Missed all of bow season. Made sure I was off this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sat dark to dark on Friday with the crossbow and didn't see a single thing. Went back to the same stand this morning, not sure why since I saw nothing yesterday. Well I sat thru lunch without seeing anything. Finally about 2:30 I look over my right shoulder and there is a very small deer just outside the thicker stuff. Think it was probably a button but not sure. Was just glad to see something, it quickly went back in the thicker stuff and I figured it was bedded in there. At 3:30 I thought I heard a grunt but with the wind I wasn't sure. I waited till it was calm so it could be heard and hit by grunt tube a couple times. 30 seconds later i hear crashing and see the white tail of what I assume was the button bounding away. Crap, that wasn't what I wanted. Not even a minute later this guy comes out of the thick behind me on my left, I look saying what are you, get a glimpse of the rack and say to myself besides dead...lol. I shoot and he runs 30 yards, starts plowing and I put another one in him. Was a little disappointed to see the 2 on one side but the rack is unique. Glad I could punch a tag with the limited time I have.

So I'm in NC visiting my oldest son for the birth of my second grandchild and his first child. He doesn't hunt but my youngest boy who lives about 100 miles away invited me to come hunt on his hunting lease . It costs me $160 for an out of state license then it's going to cost me a $40 visitors fee to hunt the lease. I'm only going be able to get away for one day this coming Monday. That's $200 for one day of hunting but some things you just have to splurge for. I don't get to hunt with my son much anymore. Hopefully Monday we have some luck. Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk

Time with one’s son far out weighs money spent in my opinion. Money can be hard to come buy, but can be replaced. Whereas time, we can never have enough of or get back. Your priorities are straight in my book. Best wishes to you and your son for a fun day together!

All of my rifles and repeating shotguns have sling swivels, or on most of them, studs for detachable slings.. My only guns without slings are my side/sides and O/U.... And YES I have missed a few shot opportunities over the years on deer and turkeys because my gun was slung over my shoulder.. Oh well......

Once they realize they are being hunted they will revert to nighttime activities and hole up during the daylight hours where they feel they have the best cover. I hunted on a big farm outside of Norwich years ago, on a side hill there was an old over grown apple orchard, an almost impenetrable entanglement of high brush, briars, brambles along with scrub apple trees. After the opening week bombardment I think almost every deer in that area would take up refuge in that mess. We would surround it and try to drive it but had very limited success. We would save our doe permits for the last day of season and one of those years I was a driver trying to flush something out to the watchers. I literally had to crawl at times to get through in pouring rain. I got to a bit of an opening and was looking ahead with my binoculars and caught just a wee bit of movement, a good look showed three does lying flat on their stomachs not 20 yards away. I was up above them a bit and drew down on the biggest one and aimed right for the middle of her back and killed her right where she laid. The other two took off like a bat out of hell but they never emerged where the watchers were stationed. They just circled and hid in that hellhole. I had one heck of a time getting that doe out of there and I will tell you what. I never went in there again. Al

I believe bucks are quick to react to hunting pressure and human presence in the woods. Does also, but maybe to a lesser extent. Yesterday evening as I was preparing Thanksgiving dinner for my GF who just came out of the hospital I counted over 20 deer in the cut bean field. Not a single buck amongst them. I'm pretty sure they were joined by some bucks within an hour after darkness. There is plenty of swampy, nasty rosebush covered area around here where deer can hide out around us. That stuff is almost inpenetrable and certainly no sneaking up on a buck in there!

There is (or was). Other family member have missed or wounded two other monsters since then.

North country- (use the very small bleat can) walk slowly but not like still hunting, and every 50 - 60 yards or so and turn the can over just once.

Gotta love Wolc logic

I never have my gun hanging from my shoulder when actually hunting. For me they earn their keep especially when you have to drag one out or on a long walk out at the end of the day. Al

These days, I generally keep my sling in my pack, until I need to drag a carcass. I started doing that, after missing out on a shot opportunity on a deer, because my gun was hanging on my shoulder and not in my hands. My father in law’s scoped Marlin 336 has a non-detachable sling, and that’s about the only thing I don’t like about it. Someday, I’m going to sneak a set of detachable sling mounts on it, while he’s not looking. What he don’t know won’t hurt him. I did that with a hammer stud extension (makes it a lot easier to cock the trigger with the scope), and he never picked up on it. Yesterday morning, while following the blood trail of a tiny spike buck (I mistook it for a big doe) that I thought I hit good at home, I did attach the sling. Then I hung my Marlin 512 12 gauge slug gun on my shoulder. I only did that, so that I could easily (using two hands) mark the red blood drops, as they started to peter out, with orange surveyor ribbon. That was the only deer, that I have ever double-lunged with any weapon, which made a sharp 90 degree turn, mid-death-run. He ran into a thick jungle-like 1/2 acre patch of cover. It took me almost 1/2 hour to find him, because of that crazy maneuver. As far a shooting with slings, we used them from prone, kneeling, and off-hand positions, on the singe shot .22 LR’s, when I was on the high school rifle team. They helped the most from the offhand position. I’ve never used one for added support while hunting, but most of my stands and blinds have very good rests. I’ve used lots of trees to steady my shots also, and I just picked up a set of shooting sticks this year. If we get an east wind before January 1, I hope to try those from my pop-up blind.

I use Uncle Mike’s Mountain Sling for my guns. I only own two of them so the ride different guns regularly. Actually, although mine are black, the center green one above looks very similar. Very utilitarian.

Way to get it done, congrats!

You ain’t kidding there. I never have seen this much snow up here. My father in law had some snowshoes that he says I can use. They have been seeing quite a few deer the last few days, but none with antlers. I came real close to taking out a big buck with our suv, on rt 81 in Sandy creek about an hour ago. It was standing broadside in the right lane. I was doing 75 when I saw it. I breaked hard and swerved at the last minute, probably getting within an inch of it. Looked like a solid 3.5 yr plus 8 or 10 point.

Theodore Roosevelt and the “ Thanksgiving Truce”. I always found that print amusing.

Congrats to the young man He has a great teacher

I got out for the last hour of daylight on Monday and seen one deer about 10 minutes after sunset. If it had antlers, they were tiny, and it was just a little too far for a shot at that hour. This morning (Thanksgiving), was the first I have been able to hunt, of sz gun season. I saw a single deer on my walk back to my natural blind, 1/2 hour before sunrise. I showered with scent free soap, and deployed Evercalm, when I got to the blind, plus wiped some on my boots. At 7:30, deer started converging on my position from three directions, all of them antlerless. I shot, what looked to be the largest, as it stood in the middle of my “tall tine tubers” patch. Whitetail Institute ought to call those “tiny tine turnips”. It turned out that deer was a spike, with 2-3/4” on the left and 1” on the right. Oh well, that’s another filled dmp tag and now I got oysters. He had a big enough liver in him for (2) meals, and a 37-1/4” chest girth. Best part is, I can still hunt for a big one, up north later this weekend. The Good Lord always comes thru when I need Him. It would be hard to imagine a better deer than this one this blessed Thanksgiving morning.

Guess it all depends on who (DEC officer) you get. Years back on LI state co-op I arrowed what I tough was a doe. When I recovered it, it turned out to be a small spike with one antler measuring exactly 3". I tagged it as a buck using my archery tag. Back at the check station the DEC officer told me "I would have let you tag this one as a doe". Who knows what would have happened had I done that. Another story regarding it all depends on who you get. Years back we were hunting a piece of private property, with permission, for the first time with friends and family. The landowner owner explicitly told us the neighbor across the road trespasses and he doesn't want him on the property. The day before opener as we were checking it out the local neighbor across the road came over to throw us out. We explained that we had permission to hunt it and would be in there tomorrow. We said nothing about what the landowner told us to keep things peaceful. Opening day we park the trucks about 75 yards into the property. One of the party shoots a doe that morning. As we drag the deer to the trucks there is a DEC officer waiting for us. He asks who the lucky hunter was and to see the completed carcass tag. The hunter explains he was going to fill it out now as his pen was in the truck. The gut pile was literally 50 yards away. Well, DEC officer informed us that the tag needs to be completed immediately in the woods at the kill site, but does not need to be attached until at a road. DEC officer confiscated the deer and issued the hunter a ticket!