samcolt87

I saw some people off in the distance, they weren't very far in

Hi guys, Decided to go do some hunting in Sterling Forest today. I was feeling really ambitious, so I hiked off the trail for a few hours, carefully choosing my steps and moving slowly. Anyways, once I got way out to about a mile off the trail, following some rock outcroppings and various deer signs I saw a pretty big buck! Unfortunately he had seen/ smelled me first and took off. I cursed myself for a while, but as a newbie hunter it was also nice to know I actually did something right! I guess the rest comes with experience. Maybe I'll head back up to that spot during the week in muzzleloader season when the park totally clears out. How has every one else been doing?

I think the number of deer in the general region 3 area has significantly increased. It seems like the red oaks are producing acorns this year. I live over in rockland (3R) and there have been a number of bucks hanging around the back of my house, which has never happened before. I'd see a doe on occasion but never any bucks. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but I have a good feeling about this year.

I will not be one of those slobs at all! I will clean the place up even if I see any other crap out there

There she is on my civic last year, unloaded of course. Still haven't quite figured out how I am going to fit a deer into that tiny trunk.

guess i'll call DEC on this one. Will post back.

Mossberg 100. I have one in .308 and it prints sub-moa with a nikon scope and my nosler 165 grain handloads. That or you can get a very nice deal on used winchester 70s, remington 700s and savage 110s. All great bolt rifles.

Anyone know if you're allowed to plink/target shoot in pochuck state forest?

take a look at the LC9/ PF-9 series. CC is not allowed in my county, but I still bought a PF9 for its compact size. Great little gun. People exagerate the recoil it generates, yeah it kicks but it is very controllable, and I can get off three shots pretty quick. Not to mention you can slip it into a pocket with a good pocket holster, if you have decent sized pockets.

Licenses are available today! What DMPs did you guys get? I finally got one for 3P! Very excited.

I don't go as often as I'd like, but when I do, I mostly do primative style camping, backpack in with a tent, gather firewood at the site and cook on that. Get the best nights sleep ever out there. That evening summer air is also a good reminder of why I camp. Now if I could find a good camping location to do camp hunting, like they do out west, that would be something!

Thank you for all of that info Bill! I hope you feel better soon, and are able to get out this year after some deer.

Any of you guys hunt in mt. Tom? Looks like last year it had a decent deer take. How about Carter's pond WMA? Thanks

you can't see it too well from the picture, but my blind was actually about 30' off the ground on a flat ledge on a hillside which dropped vertically. it was pretty hard to see from level ground (with exception to the b/o vest I tied to the top!) When I was on the ground, I placed it by thick pines/dense brush. Do you guys have any way of determining the freshness of dropping/tracks? To give you another perspective from the ground, my blind was about where the red circle is... just enough to see the b/o from there while keeping my scent way up high! wind was blowing into the blind also!

but it was nice to get out for my first deer season! No one else in my family hunts, so I kinda picked it up on my own, but now I'm hooked! I think I'll head out after some squirrels tomorrow. There's my ground blind, my sporterized hawken out on the last day of muzzleloader season at Sterling Forest. Hoping to bag something next year with everyone's help! Merry Christmas.

I might be interested in your mossberg.

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhxKA29zmx78j3xjnv too funny!

I hunted Bashakill last week. It's mostly swampland up by rt 17. I found a nice bedding area, with lots of tracks and droppings, but no deer all day. There are quite a few squirrels and ducks in there though. I took the Henry survival rifle with me for squirrels but came home empty handed! Only saw one other person in there all day. I'll probably go back for muzzle loader season after I get around to purchasing a ground blind. Let me know what any of the other places are like if you go.

Hello, I was thinking about purchasing a CVA accura for this hunting season. Since I will be mostly hunting in 3M this season (got a DMP for 3M), and the most accessible pubilc land is shotgun/muzzleloader only, it makes sense to get a quality muzzleloader, as it will become my primary weapon. I already have an investarm hawken hunter carbine in .50 cal, and I do like the appeal of hunting with a more traditional sidlelock and irons, (I also cast my own conicals for this gun) however I need precision. I am very new to hunting, and haven't even taken a deer yet, only small game. If, and when I head out to the woods this year, I owe that deer a quick and painless dispatch, dead right there. Perhaps when I become more skilled at hunting, I will use the hawken. So any of you guys have the accura? Is the accuracy as they claim it to be? How does it stack up against, say, the Buckhorn? Does it shoot conicals well also? Thanks!

Hey guys, I just got a DMP for 3M. Is there any state land in 3M besides bashakill WMA? Is stewart forest technically in 3M? It seems like all of the state lands in the orange county area are in 3P, including storm king and sterling. Thanks.

Toruk, I want to do something similar myself during the muzzleloader season. You mentioned that you are close to sterling. An option for you (although somewhat complicated) is to camp out on the Appalachian Trail by night, and hike into the park by day. However, the Appalachian trail, while it does allow camping, does not allow hunting or firearms within the vicinity. What you would have to do is find a parking lot on the side of the park. (You cannot park in the seasonal lots because they close at night.) There are some small parking lots on the side of the AT. You would have to leave your gun and all hunting equipment in your vehicle overnight (make sure you do this, you do not want to be charged for hunting on national park land.) Then, by day, you would return to your vehicle, drive it into the park, and hunt. Not exactly as rustic as backpacking hunting out west, or up north. Its probably all you've got down in this area though. I found a nice swamp by the Indian Hill gate that might bring some luck. It runs right across the street from the AT for easy access. If you have a map of sterling, you shouldn't have a hard time locating this area. Its located on the northern section of the map. Good luck.

Howdy! A feature that I like to use to find ranges in the area is on www.cheaperthandirt.com specifically: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/GunRanges/ Good luck!

Thanks for all of the replies! Seems like a good bunch of people on this forum. Toruk, I did a hike thru sterling yesterday. Saw a couple of does crossing the street by the northern section of the park, didn't see any bucks though. Do you hunt muzzleloader? Karpteach, is Bashakill usually crowded during the week? and is rifle hunting allowed? Thanks!

Hello everyone! New to the forum, and new to hunting (tried for small game last year in sterling.) I purchased my licenses yesterday, including a DMP in 3M. I have been doing some research on places to hunt in this area and found Bashakill WMA. Has anyone hunted in the WMA? If so, What are the deer like? Can I hunt with a rifle here during the regular season, (or is it shotgun/muzzleloader only?) Finally, are there any other places in 3M that you would recomend to a newbie? I also plan to hunt sterling during muzzleloader season Thanks!