StripedBuck

Congratulations GrowsAlot! Thanks for sharing the story it seems like the Bucks are responding to the calls. Enjoy those tender straps!

LIBH, Congratulations on an awesome Long Island Buck!!! Nice symmetrical rack, big bodied too! Can't wait to here the story of the 15 yrd shot.

I'll take a clean miss over a wounded deer any day. Sure it sucks, but as you said you finally saw deer, had them come in close enough for a shot and then the fever hit! I know whenever I have deer come in close for a shot I too get all worked-up and I think we all do, heart pounding, adrenaline rush, etc....Just this past weekend up in the Catskills first time this year missed a big Doe right over it's back, thought it was gonna be an easy shot at 20 yds. It was a lesson in deer hunting. Best of luck in the rest of your hunts!

Never saw or heard about that accident, BUT what was he doing with a broadhead on the end of the arrow and not a field tip in a Store no less ?

I bet you'll find him in that swamp, the big ole' boys love swamps!

Wow! That is one big bodied 8 pointer. It was a good thing that you placed your cam on that scrape, you now know what you have to persue. The time shows sonewhere around 2:38 am so he may be nocturnal already. Definitely try to find his bedding area and the trails that he's using. Since he was checking that scrape maybe you can locate others that he has made and look for his rub line. Also try to rattle and grunt, make a mock scrape with more of that scent that you used and try to piss him off! Hopefully no one gets him before you do since you said a lot of drives are made in that area. Perhaps he will show himself during the day looking for some hot does.Best of luck on your quest! keep us informed.

Hopefully you can fiqure his pattern out and catch him off guard. What a big boy he is, Good Luck in your quest!!

Nice job, Congratulations! Venison for dinner, yum!!

The new antler restriction in WMU 3A is only for the areas that are south and west of Rt. 28. not sure why but North of Rt.28 has no restrictions, yet! It can only leed to better hunting in years to come as long as everyone abids by these rules including the locals, as for the poachers that's another story. Sure it will be hard to see your typical Catskill basket buck, fork horn, spike and not want to take a shot.Lots of discipline on the hunters end by verifying through the use of binoculars if it's a shooter or not. I wouldn't mind taking a good quality buck that's more then 3 yrs. old with some good mass and body size. Let's hope for the best of luck!

Thanks for the read, very informative. I have used those scents for years and have had both bucks and doe's come into them during certain conditions, they do work! Good luck!!

I have never used a bleat can although they sound great. I have used grunt tubes and doe bleats with success, even blind calling they work. I bought a rattle bag last year and only used it a few times, I will start using it soon for this season. I do have full sized antler's to rattle with but they are way too bulky to carry in the woods all day and I haven't had any success with them in past years.

Great job, Congratulations on your first bow buck at 15 yrs old no less. Now there is a teenager hooked on hunting for life! That buck's got some good size to him he will make a beautiful mount to be proud of.

Congratultions Wildcats160 on a fine recovery and a great first time bow buck!

Nice job!...you can't beat a 20 yard shot.. meat on the table

Congratulations way to go on your first deer!

NYBuckBoy, Awesome looking land to hunt, lots of great areas to choose from. I agree with hunting the apple tree areas(just like candy)10,11,5,7 3,4,. That patch of woods to the west near the house 12,13,14 look good if you get in very early in the morning and wait for sunrise. The field edges should be good early also and later in the evening before the sun sets. That thick stuff to the north east 8, 9 definitely looks like a good bedding area with lots of cover and security. You'd have to be very careful walking into that area, I'm sure you'll get lots of snorts.Best of luck this season. StripedBuck

Very cool find, never seen them before either. It was a totally different world for hunters back in those days. Thanks for posting, I love nostalgia!

L.I.B.H. You did nothing wrong and are continuing to do everything right. I do know that feeling of not finding your deer it just eats you up inside. Hopefully today you will find him, most likely laying up in that water, squeezed inbetween some blow downs and as Dave6X6 said in the thick stuff. Keep up the search and keep your head high! Good luck! StripedBuck

Hope you find that 12 pointer with ease, can't wait to see pics and how it all went down! Way to go L.I.B.H.!!

Hey Fellow Hunters(Bow), You might be happy to hear that parts of Harriman were opened to hunting back in 2009 and are now open once again. Check out this information below. Bear Mountain-Harriman State Parks: Hikers should be aware that hunting is allowed this year in the area of Harriman west of Route 87 and into Sterling Forest State Park. Other areas of Harriman-Bear Mountain are not open to hunting. Sterling Forest State Park: Note that the Wildcat Mountain Trail is now entirely within the hunting area. North of Route 17A the hunting area continues to include the Sapphire (except for the Appalachian Trail Corridor), Indian Hill, Furnace, Townsend and Long Meadow Extension Trails. The former archery-only area located north of Greenwood Lake, west of Penaluna Road, is now an antler-restricted firearms hunting area. For complete details call the park at 845-351-5907 Good luck to all this season! StripedBuck

Great job Guy's!....Nothing better then shooting your bow on a live target, meat for the table and the start of a good season. Best of luck to everyone!! StripedBuck

NYbuck50 I wouldn't worry too much as it is still early in the season.Their have been many times that the woods were signless in the southern zone and then the next time you visited them you would see sign all over the place. The bucks are still running with other bucks right now and soon will be on their own making scraps and rubs getting ready for the upcoming rut. By the way the area you described that you hunt sounds like a great place with a small ridge, corn fields and a swamp. That's were your 10 pointer is probably living in that swamp. Good luck this year! StripedBuck

Wow! Nice size food Plot. Soon enough you should be getting lots of activity. Do you have a camera set up yet to see what's visiting? Good luck!