NYBowhunter

I enjoy hunting, eating wildgame. I still get butterflies (at 50) when I head up to camp. Never felt the need to quit hunting, but sounds like you need a break.

I agree, for me atlleast its a commitment and passion. I try to better my land, some years I do more, some years very little, but I do something. Also I put the time in to get deer, sometimes it only takes a couple hours to get a deer or three...lol..and sometimes the whole season.

Ouch, holy crap thats alot of collisions. Damn, be careful out there.

Welcome

This probably should be a new topic,, but I must say that in the grand ole scheme of things I think as a whole we are the minority of the NY hunting population. For the most part all on this site are pretty successful in getting deer. I hear so many stories where NY hunters go years without getting a deer (and these are not trophy hunters). Or hear story of 7 guys on 500 acres and they only take one deer and between them all only see 2 deer. As a group I think we are all pretty lucky.

Not punching a tag can humble a person, I have always been a meat hunter. Im fortunate to harvest mature bucks from time to time, but if a mature doe or young buck are in my sights, I need meat and I feel like I want that deer, then I will shoot. I never ever make excuses, I have nobody to please. I love eating deer meat, bottom line.

I wouldn't say anything, just do it. Guarantee you benefit more by being in the woods. Use the travel routes to and from the plots to your advantage. Skirt the plots as far off as you can when you enter in the morning and setup where you catch them coming off the plots at first light. Just make sure the plots are done correctly or like anything else your just throwing your money out the window.. Win win!!!

10 x 10 plots would get chewed to the ground in my area. 1/2 acre to 2 acre plots are ideal and several at that.

You should, it will benefit all if the plots are done correctly. Don't just throw money at them, ask what are thier plans, testing soil, what are they planting (plant what other properties don't offer), will they lime and fertilize based upon the test results. Do they even have the equipment needed to put in a plot? Being 200 to 300 yards off a plot can be a gold mine, if you catch them staging up by you before they enter the plots or if you catch deer coming off the plots going to bed. What till plots go in and then see where deer travel. You don't need to be on the plot to kill deer. I have 6 plots on 40 acres, I benefit from my neighbors for bedding areas and they benefit from my plots. I'm around alot of ag (corn), so i plant alot of ladino clover to provide something different and also the turkeys love clover as well and at times I will plant brassicas. All of our biggest bucks were never killed over a plot, some immature bucks yes, but not the big boys.

Thats great, I love pastry with rum.

They are very good .

Could be, they blended in well with the hens that I didn't take notice. The gobblers in my area however are very easy to tell a part. Im not much of a turkey hunter, probably should take the time to hunt them as my area has some of the highest densities in all of NY. Finding time in may is the hard part...lol

24 hens, not all are in pic. Pic. is from a video of them coming off top of my mountain to feed in the plot.

And some struffoli me and my youngest boy made....

Numbers up in 4F, but populations for the most part in 4F are pretty stable. Some of the biggest flocks I have seen on my property are from this year. Have video of 24 hens in my plot and a little later 6 gobblers.. Never seen that many hens at one time on my property. With Turkeys like deer, numbers can trend up or down not by county but property to property.

Rainbows and sesame are two of my favorites. Yeah looks like our traditional Xmas eve get together will be canceled as well. Way too many of us to chance with this covid crap. Sux cause its of my favorites, all kinds of fish and always look forward to the grilled octopus.

Made a batch of struffoli last week, nice little tiny cookie with honey. So good. Some make it with honey or a white icing.

The pizzelles sound yummy. Isn't it amazing the things we hold dear to our heart we can remember from so many years past, awesome you remembered your great grandmas (Nonna's) cookie, they must have been special.

Wow, $24 a lb. At that rate my parents probably made like $1,000 worth...lol.. BTW that really sux about your moms recipe, somethings are just irreplaceable. Can't blame your wife, its alot of work to make that fig filling, making the dough is the easy part. If you were closer I'd give you a few, if ever in Brooklyn give me a holla.

I keep a record of every deer ever shot on my property since I bought it 13 years ago. Its a basic ledger that includes who shot the deer, date and time deer was shot, deer sex, if buck how many points and in some instances weight. I think last checked we took 32 deer and 1 bear on 40 acres in the last 13 seasons.

Nah, they would have said the Sicilian dialect for toilet, "beccausu".

Some nice trophies you all have...lol

Could be you have no exit wound and hes bleeding mostly internally with some blood pouring out the shot side. If as described you should find that deer dead, just not sure why you didn't find him after a 1/4 mile? The distance you tracked from POI is whats concerning.

The broken English and harsh accents in my house growing up was priceless. Love it all.

Thx, yes definitely post pictures of those cookies. My parents and family are all from Palermo, im first generation Italian American. Buona Natale.