NYBowhunter

Turkey hunting is hit or miss depending on the land, I'm in a heavy Ag area and there is no shortage of Turkey. I have Turkeys pretty reguarly on my property, there are some farms that I know close by where its not uncommon to see a hundred in fields during certain times of the year. In general our area has some of the highest turkey harvests in all of NY.

My first year I put in 2 clover plots and they have been my main year round food plots for the last 4 years, then I set aside another plot adjacent to my clover plot and thats where I put my annuals come late July.You can plant the clover in May -June and will start producing in time for bow and will continue to produce for years....If you plan on plowing a plot under, you may want to consider Buckwheat. You can plant the buckwheat then plow it under in late July and August and use it as a green manure, which would be great for the health of your annual planting. Just a thought.

Okay, very close neighbors..So you must be near Oneonta.....I do most of my small game hunting on a farm just outside of Oneonta on Route 23..

In Otsego county as well in the town of Worcester. Not sure how far that is from New Berlin?

Best of luck, sounds like a solid plan. It seems that you have done some research. You may also want to set aside some land and put in a ladino clover plot just so you have a piece for deer to browse on year round...Please dont skip the most important step of this process, be sure to get that soil tested and get that needed lime into the ground well before any planned plantings....enjoy....

Sorry, heres pictures.

I assume your plots will go in where the old hayfields were? That would be similar to my plots in that the plots hug up against some huge pine trees. Deer love to stage up and feel comfortable under the pines before they venture into the plots, also use the pines for cover and bedding during heavy snow.Attached picture of my plot, similar to what I think you would be doing??

Congrats Geno, we are neighbors. Mine is a 3.5 hour drive for me as well and I'm in Otsego county, close to Deleware county as well. My property is 40 acres, but sounds very similar in terms of land layout. I'm loaded up with apple trees and I also have a stream that cuts through the entire length of my property and have couple plots as well. If you dont mind me asking, what town is the property in? Let me know once your ready for food plots, I can steer you in the right direction to get all your supplies...i.e fertilizer, seeds, lime, tractor/Bulldozer sales or rentals etc...that is assuming you are in close proximity to where Iam. Be ready to see some big bodied deer that will make those island deer look like german shepards....lol..No offense to you island hunters..Good luck with the land....no other feeling like hunting on your own piece.

Buck my buddy took on my property during rifle. Me in picture with his buck.

Congrats, nice eating right there.

Congrats, an excellent way to end the season, also Happy Birthday.

Thanks all, I'm sure she will taste great compared to all those smelly rutted bucks we have been eating through the years....lol..

Thats what I was thinking...but not even to see the small ones just had me thinking..I guess the lack of pressure also keeps the big boys in thier beds until dark..

Thanks. You got that right, She stood still for 5 minutes perfectly still just looking around to make sure all was okay. But unfortunate for her I was 100 yards away and she never knew I was there.

In my previous post I stated that in the last three days of the season I had been seeing anywhere from 12-20 does and fawns while hunting near food sources on my property. I was fortunate to take a doe on the last day, but what really amazes me is that we are seeing what I believe to be a large amount of deer....but in seeing 12-20 deer in a 3 hour sit and not seeing not one buck really has me confused. I'm not talking mature bucks.....we are.not even seeing small bucks. I know they are there because I have them on camera and have seen them during the bow and gun season....but where are they ??? Has anyone else experienced a large amount of doe and fawn sightings with no bucks and I'm not talking about what you see throughout the season. I'm talking about seeing that many deer in a 3 hour sit over three consecutive days and not one buck?? I know lots of things in the deer world are unexplainable, but this really has me thinking.

With no sign of a decent buck on the last 3 days of the season I opted to take to this doe on the last hour of the season. The sign for does and fawns were incredible on all three afternoons from Friday to Sunday, my Unvle and I were seeing anywhere from 12-20 doe and fawns within a 3 hour afternoon sit.Heres the story of my hunt, It was Sunday and I had already passed on 5 other smaller does and fawns when this ole girl came strolling in to feed under some apple trees. She stood slightly quartering to me 100 yards out, I placed the cross hairs on her chest and let the 06 bark, The bullet found its mark and the doe jump up in the air, but to my amazement I can see her run about 75 yards and then she was out of sight. I went to where she was first hit and the blood was easily evident in the snow and the blood trail was incredible.What really amazed me is that she went about100 yards up hill before she expired. Upon gutting and skinning her I was amazed to find that I had taken out her heart, lungs and her off shoulder was completely destroyed. This really reinforces how strong these animals are. She was an ole doe and looked the part. I have not taken a doe in years, but glad I did as we needed meat for the freezer and by the number of the deer we have been seeing a little thinning of the herd was needed.

Grab it, good eats right there.lol..

My buddy scored on a 7 pointer (me with the buck) day after opener in 4f on my property.I saw couple spikes , loads of does and fawns through the season so far. Seen deer on almost every sit, however not seeing any of the big boys I had on camera. Very few shots as well , the few shots I did hear were far away.

Congrats, heck of a buck...Makes all that time waiting all that better..

Thanks all, I was very happy for him. It was like I shot the deer.

Brought my friend up to my property and he scored on the Sunday of opening weekend with a nice 2 1/2 year old seven pointer, the buck was shot coming out of a river bottom. As the buck came up high on the ditch my friend said the buck and him locked eyes at 50 yards away, as the buck began to bound away my friend whistled and the buck hesitated for a split second. The bullet entered far back with a quartering away shot and the bullet was found lodged in the opposite shoulder. The buck only went 30-40 yards and dropped.The buck was shot around 10am, he was pretty hefty for a young deer and field dressed 155 lbs.

Its a ritual since I was small that we celebrate Thanksgiving in the city with family, then all the hunters head upstate to hunt Friday and weekend.

Congrats, very nice buck for 4f. I hunt in 4F as well.

Took my buddy up with us on my property and he scored on Sunday with a nice 7 pointer that field dressed 155 Lbs. Will post pictures once I get them from him.

I'll be sitting all day high up on a ridge in my ladder stand overlooking several travel coridors and apple trees....Also hoping to get one last bow hunt in on Friday morning and then relax the rest of the day and hang out with my two ole timer buddies, I also have a good friend of mine that will be joining us as well.....Good luck to all.