NFA-ADK

What a beauty!

Come on September 27th!!! Four days to use last years tags then start fresh! All though I like hunting in bad weather I hope this year I do not have 4 straight days of rain, again...

Plain and simple to me, If I grow it and spend excessive amounts of time improving my land why shouldn't I enjoy it while hunting??? Many things get a bad rap in hunting, I will never object to food plots or hunting them, they provide vast benefits that far outweigh the few deer removed from it when done properly. Far to often we all like to play follow the leader and do as I say on these forums. I am guilty as the next guy... Taken to extreme we could say all hunters should only use traditional bows and arrows, no scents, calls, camo, or modern equipment, GPS, tree stands, food plots or land improvement, no trophy hunting, no compass and map, no cameras... (I think we all know this would be bad for deer and hunting.) We each hunt for our own reasons but I believe the general idea is to enjoy the outdoors. Please do not frown upon other peoples way of hunting. I love stalking deep woods for bucks. But the guy who hunts a farm for deer in a tree stand with a 7mm mag will be just as happy to take a nice buck... We argue about many stupid thing just like brothers and sisters, but with so much to argue about it is easy to say "You are wrong"... AR restriction, Compound vs traditional vs black powder vs crossbow vs gun, tree stand vs blind vs stalk, Hoyt vs Mathews, Savage vs Winchester, lever vs bolt, carbon vs aluminum, lead vs steel I could go on and on and on... We are stubborn thick headed and set in our ways. Frankly I am amazed we agree on anything!!! LOL Hats off to you NYSportsman for posting what you do and having no regrets about it. One of the reasons I wear my camo hat it to instigate deer hunting conversations with NON hunters. I will never back down about the proud tradition I uphold and neither should any of YOU!!! Regardless of how you hunt, as long as you do it safe and ethically!!!

My Clover, no my clover, NO my clover, NO MY CLOVER!!! Nice pics!

Moose River is my primary stomping grounds... I just can't get enough! Very vast and extremely unforgiving if you get lost!!! Some area's are so thick they are impassable... Compass does not always work!!! Rare but I have seen it... Sweet Old Bill says " If you get lost it can be a long walk out." No offense but that is the understatement of the year. Many people do not make it out of the woods in the ADK forest, often you will see a sign posted of a lost individual at the sign in gate. To say you should be woods wise would be an understatement!!! Be careful! Seven miles to the closest town, 30+ miles if you really go the wrong way!!! These are some of the most remote spots in NY! NFA!!! No Fooling Around This name was a result of David Boomhower being discovered, one of my first years in Moose River Plains. NFA-GETSOME Come on September 27th!!!

I have to brake mine down!!!

Very cool, congrats Growalot!!! Looking forward to some cool pictures!!!

Nice! Some real potential and a few brutes, looks good! Growing deer is very rewarding!!! You can identify that buck with the eye mark if he makes it to next season. How old do you think he is?

Not sure how big/strong you are but... I have dragged out a 200lb + buck and the antlers were excellent handles. I had 4 other hunters helping me and it was not easy to say the least. Down hills is easy but go through some rough territory and the drag will tire you out... I am about 170 and can pull my weight with no problem but a bear over 250lbs is Extremely hard to move, nothing like a deer. Like Cabin Fever says those things don't come with handles and their fur and claws catch and drag everything! I was told once by the forest ranger how horrible a long drag is and how bad it wears the hide with a heavy bear. He said if they are by the camp WACK them! Deep woods, let them go. If you take one deep in the woods and can't move him, tag, clean and go for help... The cart will work if you can get him in it by yourself... I debate one for deer but doubt I would come out just to get the cart. Good luck! Every time I see one they are running away... Cute when small, adults not so much! PS: Not sure how experienced you are at hunting/navigating these areas. Map, compass, GPS, proper survival clothes, fire starting items, first aid kit, extra food, flashlights, batteries, bulbs, knifes and rope (possible water purifier) are some essential tools along with woods wise experience to know how to use them and properly navigate even if your compass point the wrong way due to metal in the rocks... Think about getting a partner unless you are confident in your skills, in the ADK it should be extreme confidence as many perish who are ill prepared. NFA - No Fooling Around!!! Good Luck and take pictures!!! Hope you need 7 guys to drag him out!!! Now that would be a story!!!

Looks nice... Not so sure about the scope. My savage Model 110 in 30-06 is awesome, quarter sized groups at 50 yards 1 1/2 at 100 (Federal 165 grain NP, NBT, or Sierra Game King BTSP.) consistent ammo is key. (Reloads worked well!) Bought that in 1987-88, trigger is a little tight but I am use to it. Savage makes good guns that last! My stock shows the wear of 25 years that's for sure. She is a nail driver when on the bench! They are great guns and with a synthetic stock and protected barrel it will last a long time. My guns take a beating that's for sure and Savage has taken the brunt of my adventures and still shoots great. Good luck if you choose one.

I was getting worried!!! Finally came today, WOW that yellow is awful. Probably easy for them to see than last years tags... I was wondering why it took so long!!! Did I upset someone??? Arg Just happy they are here, hope I get to use one of last years tags!!! Getting my bow accuracy back a couple of tourneys before the season and I should be on mark. GETSOME baby!!!

Very nice!

That's nice!

Well said Sits in trees, remember perspective. A thick deep mud filled swap that moose seem to like are usually not used by deer as much from what I have seen. Scouting some of these areas when the top layer has frozen enough for me to travel has proven very insightful. Deer seem to skirt the edges of these places as travel in them would probably limit their ability to move as it did to me for a few hours... I would think that some swamps have different levels of mud, vegetation and land cover. The deep thick almost impassable swaps I encounter do not seem to have many tracks or trails yet they seem to like the thick grass in smaller, shallow area's I notice. Those small pockets of swamp pale in comparison to some of the deeper rain forest type areas IMO. A swamp 700 yards by 50-100 yards could be only a few feet deep with very little muck, rocks or change in elevation with high grass as always present making this ideal habitat. The 900 yard by 300 yard deep swamp with rocks, steep elevation drop and open water are hazardous to any beast I find very few tracks here. Deer seem to take the path of least resistance, some swaps are just so overgrown, mud filled impassable valleys that even deer might avoid them. Just like deer, not all swamps are created equal... Never made it back to the swamps I wanted to check out last year, I have one other to scope out that seems to hold deer and one other known doe bed area in a low swamp that the bucks like to scope out. Seems to me most of the "good" swamps are relatively flat with many escape routes. The one's in deep valleys are easy to glass or watch over as a predator, might be another reason deer shy away from that type of swamp? The amount of cover and swamp density in an area could have a effect. Wonder if predation has a effect on swamp use. Will they use the swamp less in high water levels? Summer use vs fall/rut. Do the higher elevation swamps get less use or more and why. Does spring/summer bugs have a effect? Any thoughts on these last few questions?

I would love to have my own land with spare room for plots! Depending on the size of the land/plot and assorted choices to plant and the local area habitat would dictate weather it would be kill plots or not. Just growing something from ground has it's own satisfaction but the rewards of local game are evident and growing them is a part of the greater picture, that satisfaction is immeasurable. Those who do this get to reap the rewards of the local game involved. Personally I would try to have the best wintering habitat a whitetail could possibly have, this would benefit all game in the area. I can not say I would not hunt my plots but in an ideal hunting land I would have habitat situated for escape and bedding areas that I would not tread on. (No tree stands would be allowed on my plots.) If the land is well taken care of with benefiting animals I see no reason why all those hours spent working the fields should not have some time spent enjoying them while hunting... The few deer taken are more than made up for with the benefits the animals receive from the land. While the deer in NYS belong to the state of NY, the people are the real shepherds of the heard. Food plots big or small, kill or no-kill all benefit the animals we love to watch, grow and hunt. Hope yours is thriving!!!

Challenge is what it is all about for me. While I want a weapon to be extremely effective, the challenge is usually finding deer in deep woods... Stalking, ambush, knowledge of trails and habits and a quick assessment of the sign. No tree stands, trail cams just plain old hunting like it was many years ago... Your wits and knowledge vs nature and the wild deer a challenge for any hunter!!! Lord thank you for the whitetail deer and the epic journey they take me on!!! NOTHING in the world I would rather do than hunt deep woods bucks... I thought taking a mature deer would quench my thirst but I am suffering from dry mouth! Just can't get enough!!!

Stop at a local bait shop, they will tell you where to go and what to use. Most are very friendly and have the inside scoop on what is biting.

Shot placement is key! How about waiting for a good shot, improving shooting skills and hunters ability to stalk for a better shot or have the patience to let deer go if no good shot is available. The more you ability as hunter improves the more likely you will lower your weapons standards... EX: If a 22 or a bow can kill a deer then we know any other more powerful weapon will work. In the right hands... And proper distances... My 44 Mag and Mathews work fine for me yet according to many they would be considered light... I usually do not get shots more than 70 yards... Both weapons are effective at that range. 50 yards and closer being my optimal range with both weapons on uneven ground, free hand. 308 and 30-06 for long range work for me... 30-06 preferred 243 is a great round for any area in NY. Going to use a classic this year with a 30-30, another underrated round that has probably killed more deer than any other round... Looking forward to some epic journeys in the big woods of the great ADK forest!!! Getting my bow form back, can't wait for opening day!!! HUNTING!!!

Very nice selection. I envy your choices of hunting grounds!!! Nice! Still in groups I see!

Cool video.

LOL that was pathetic. I like my shoulders enough to not even think about shooting something like that... 50 Cal is fun but the gun is so heavy the kick is not too bad... 30-06 is more than enough for me and I usually don't use that as it feels like over kill plus that is probably all I will ever need for power...

I think the site is down. www.scopeny.com ?

Hope everything works out ok. Be happy the house did not catch fire!!! Wow that is scary... Happy you are ok!!!

NICE!!!

LOL Jeremy!!!