Deerslayer

Different strokes Doc, a newbie hunter with wet ink on his safety course cert shouldn't be attempting running shots, I agree, it very much is a safety hazard. However a seasoned hunter with decades of shooting & experience under his belt is another story completely. Bottom line is knowing your capabilities & being able to quickly evaluate the situation at hand. The hunter is in a stand in the video. If it were me, I would know where my safe shooting alleys are, and what might not be. This hunter shot almost straight down EVERY shot, how could anyone call what he did "unsafe"???? I take a lot of time out to practice and sharpen my shooting skills, I know my limits, and the limits of my equipment. Honestly all you out there, if conducting a drive with your buddies a 14pt absolute slammer comes running right to you, within 35 yards in wide open hardwoods, not stopping, he sees you.......... you wouldn't shoot?? Maybe one in 20 of you that say you wouldn't.... really wouldn't. The rest of you are a bunch of liars and you know it!

Wow! I'm guessing your freezer goes a bit more on the empty side most years, I also guess I'm a "deer killer" then, Well I suppose my screen name fits! If NYS issues me 6 tags, 8 tags, whatever..... that is my target for harvest. I spent my good money to get them and will feed my family as I see fit! I spend my early season (bow & NZ gun) hunting alone, much of it in ........ gasp............ a tree stand! But later season I hunt with the pack and we do drives. If I have multiple tags at that point....... I stop shooting when they are all filled. That is what they are for! This video shooter did well in my opinion. (outside of the one back strap blown out) Some hunters disapprove of these methods and that is their opinion & they are entitled to hunt their own way, just as you and I are. I am not about the numbers, or the horns on the wall, I'm about the meat in the freezer. You contradict yourself in your post, you claim "stand hunting" is not hunting, then you say confront the deer on it's own level and see it as something other than hunting, WTF is that supposed to mean?? Whatever..... I see a lot of "perfect" people on this forum, who don't ever make a single mistake, ever, in life, hunting, etc. and have the ethics of a priest. Hmmm must be nice to be sooooooo perfect! I hunt legally with safe, responsible family & friends & have the best of times with them doing what we do, anyone that doesn't like it, trust me I won't lose sleep over it!

I would not even think of attempting a head shot with a bow, but a rifle, provided it's at a closer range, you bet your aZZ I would. I've made that shot many times over and every single time the deer never knew what hit them. However I count myself as a good shot, wouldn't try it if I wasn't confident. What is the difference people are pointing out in wounding one in the head or the body??? deer will still likely die either way, the only difference is a smaller target. If you can shoot with acceptable precision to make that shot time after time, then why not? Definitely not a shot for someone bad with the buck fever trembles! Got to keep a steady hand! The good thing is NO ruined meat! Now don't kill me ethics police!!!! LOL

Male Lions do not hunt, the females do the killing. This is a complete gag article, no way in hell would anyone be allowed to keep lions on their property to kill off the deer, especially on LI. If one got loose and killed a human the repercussions on the owner, county, state........ yeah umm NO! I grew up in West Islip and remember when I was a kid they were toying with the idea to release mountain lion on Fire Island to control the deer, the idea was laughed at, shot down and put to rest very quickly.

Are you saying there aren't any deer on all that land? I will give you that, the big woods is definitely tougher to hunt, what are your food sources? Certainly there must be apples or areas thick with acorns/beech/hickory nuts? They have to eat somewhere! Find the food and you will find the deer! This day and age it's become much easier with our technology (trail cams). I hunt many parcels but started out up here when I got out of the service with nothing but 50 acres my Uncle owned. I cover each and every parcel, weigh the odds and go with my gut on my best bets. If a parcel shows little or no sign / not much food, you won't see me wasting time there. If I've hunted a spot more than a couple times with no results, you prob wouldn't see me there again either. I also take advantage of earlier season, where many other hunters would pass on that doe because it's only opening day of reg season, I have seen many a hunter buddy do that and then regret it come end of season when the weather turns crappy and the freezer is still empty. Tags don't taste good so I use them when I can! It is nice to get a bigger buck, however it's not the most important thing to me, I'm a meat hunter. 12 pointers are great but a 6pt walks out in front of me, it's dead. Tag filled. Come February the horns on the wall don't mean as much to me as meat in my freezer. I guess my point is if something a person is doing, say hunting the stand in the back of the cornfield every chance he gets isn't working, move it to a better spot, get out there and find the deer! Sometimes it comes easy, other times it's backbreaking work finding where the critters are bedding/feeding/traveling, but with persistence and motivation comes success. I also had a sharp incline of success when I started really working on scent control, probably the biggest factor in "seeing deer". I never go into the woods without a scent free shower & clothes washed in scent free soap,scent free dryer sheets and stored in plastic bins. Boots - I never wear them anywhere but in the woods, I don't even wear them driving to hunt, stopping for gas, Stewarts for coffee, etc. Just my take on it. There are always people who won't agree with any given opinion & I know there are hunters who get a huge buck or they get nothing, it's a matter of personal preference and as long as it's legal, it's all good hunting! I'm always happy to share my strategies to help others fill the freezer! Cheers!

I had a great season, 8pter on last year's bow tag in early bow NZ, 7pter in SZ bow, pulled 2 'extra" 8N doe tags DEC gave out pretty much till the season ended, went out there and stayed with my buddy and 3 of us crushed 'em out there, I filled both of my 8N tags there, and them came back & filled my local doe tag. Surprisingly I still had my buck tag & my antlerless only bow/muzzy left over, but after all the successes I didn't hunt so hard in the last few weeks of season. All in all I have say it was a great season, saw deer pretty much every time I went out. My advice to anyone who didn't see much is to review your techniques, the deer are there if you aren't seeing them then you are doing something wrong, or you are not doing your homework. That said, time to break out the tip ups and hit the hard water!!!! Merry Christmas and good luck out on the ice to all!

I've been cutting my deer up myself since I was 14 and my Dad taught me the ropes, Why not learn how to do it yourself? It really is not a complicated thing. I could not possibly fathom "paying" someone to butcher my deer, I prefer handling the meat I harvested and plan on feeding my family anyhow. The only thing I've paid for was to have snack sticks made & that's over as of when I get my tax return as I'll be buying a high end smoker & a few other new processing toys this year as well. But as of now & the past 30 years, all I needed was a tree, a couple sharp knives, a cutting board and wrap! I've also had friends, new to hunting or just new to hunting as hard as I do ask me to cut theirs up, I tell them "I will help you by showing you how to do it yourself on this one, so pay attention" LOL

Why? So then when pulled over down the road the Encon officer can give him a ticket for incorrect tagging of a deer? It has no antlers it is antlerless and should have a DMP attached. That is unless he does not HAVE a DMP for that area, then in that case I would not touch it and call Encon, show them the antler & the deer & they will probably tell him to put the buck tag on anyway, but either way he will be in the clear of getting into trouble.

So pumped for today I can't sleep!!! Been watching this thread and I'll tell ya..... Anyone ever told me they they never miss and never lost a deer was full of @#$%. We all have done it. I think the most important thing is "Did You Learn Anything?" Each time I've missed and unfortunately, lost a few, I learned not make that same mistake again, therefore becoming a better hunter. All the best hunters I know got that way by learning from their mistakes. Good luck and be safe out there today!!

Jesus, talk about low!! That is a good way to end up being fed to the coyotes up in these parts! I hope they catch the bastard!

Ready, Ready, Ready!!!!!!! First need to fill the freezer tip top with meat! My boys are 13 & 8 and absolutely LOVE ice fishing. I'm ready to take them up for the landlock salmon and laker slam!!

Well I wouldn't suggest he tells the landowner THAT, because if someone told me that my not calling them back right away so they can go on MY land is "not acceptable" I would probably tell them to go scratch and they would NOT be accessing my land. The landowner has every right to allow or not allow him to get his deer. I have seen landowners not let people retrieve a deer simply because they disapprove of hunting. It's one of those touchy situations this fella's in. If the landowner isn't willing to allow you to go on his land without a "call back" or without him being there I would seek other places to hang my stands to avoid the situation altogether. Another option is to call Encon, if you are familiar with your LEO's, and he's willing to help you, they are excellent at convincing even non-hunters to allow someone to retrieve a wounded deer (and usually they are willing to help you out if they are not busy, I know the ones in my area couldn't be nicer).

Mark Vitch is right off Rt 88 on Rt 7 in Schoharie, not too far from you, he has done lots of work for my friends and family, full mount coyotes, deer, bear, etc. He does outstanding work and I highly recommend him.

Congratulations!!!! Great Buck!

Jennifer, have you tried the Sawyers? I've just sprayed aaaalll my stuff, outer clothing, backpack, climber seat with it for the 1st time, I have absolutely no ticks up in the home woods here in the Adirondacks, but I'm very curious to see how well it works come the 16th when SZ gun opens and I'm hunting the tick woods. All these people on here and buddies I know personally swear by it. Has anyone else here seen it "not" work??

Might I add that it is the hunters responsibility to know that syllabus cover to cover and fully understand what is legal and what is not, If everyone here (not mentioning any names) on this thread did this and also saw the clearly posted dates and details on my posted photos we wouldn't be having this conversation.

LOL, sounds like we are talking about ME here, yes I shot an 8pt on Sept 28th and used my either sex bow muzzy tag left over from last year, in the NZ, and then shot a 7pt in southern zone and used THIS years either sex tag. It IS possible to shoot 3 with a bow, your leftover either sex tag, your leftover BUCK tag, both those deer must be killed in the NZ of course before Oct 1. & the third with THIS years either sex tag. Theoretically I only shot one this season as the season doesn't start till Oct 1, before that it is still last season! (The license year is Oct 1 to Sept 30)

This is your quote above, In a later post, you said " I never said anyone was shooting at my house". My only question to this thread..... Why would a non-hunter take the time to look up this site and actually create a profile rather than just call DEC? Whatever the case may appear as, Someone failed science here. Just because the deer is in your area now with an arrow in it, does not mean it was shot there or shot illegally. Deer travel miles, especially now with the rut beginning in NY. He will probably pull the arrow out himself and heal up, provided your description of the injury is accurate, but tough to tell without actually seeing him myself. That is the reason barbed broadheads are not legal or ethical to use in NY, so the animal can pull it out of a non-vital wound and have a shot at healing. Deer are amazingly tough and resiliant animals!

Well, proud to have been the 1st poster on this thread with an 8pt on 9/28, now happy to post a second buck of the bow season, this one shot in the southern zone, a first for me as I've normally only been lucky enough to drill 1 buck per bow season. Got this basket 7pt on Sunday afternoon!

I don't think the youth hunt shooting hurts the bow hunting at all. In my opinion the deer (believe it or not) are used to hearing shots, cars, fireworks, neighbors working on stuff in the yard, lawnmowers, logging skidders, kids in the yard, dogs barking, 4 wheelers etc. It's when people really start pounding ground during gun season & doing drives that they get wise to us. I was listening to all the neighborhood kids screaming at the top of their lungs in my yard 300 yards from my tree stand when I killed my nice 8pt that was 15 yards from me in early NZ bow. He did not have a concern in the world. Top reasons the bucks won't come to/by your stand- 1) you hunt the stand too often, should never hunt the same stand more than once or twice in one week. Just entering the area you are leaving trace scent. Guess what? The smarter ones catch on to this quickly! 2) You are coming into the stand at the wrong time of day - trail cameras are the best tool in the world for this- USE THEM! pictures do NOT lie! If the deer are already in the immediate area before light and you show up, they got you pinned and have been successfully educated! 3) You are not taking a scent free shower & using scent free laundry soap/not storing your hunting stuff correctly that it won't pick up human/food scent. 4) You showed up to the stand when the wind was not right for that spot = educated deer!

Congratulations to this fine young hunter on his first & successful youth hunt, he is now hooked and pumped on hunting! He has been shown the ropes & has become a safe & ethical hunter! Your step-Dad is VERY proud of you!!!!!!!!!!

Well, so far up here in the NZ, Hit this decent 8pt on the afternoon hunt on Saturday, called in "hunting" to work on Sunday and recovered the buck first light, no coyotes which was a great stroke of luck, butchered him up and had to work Monday thru today, Will be back in the stand tomorrow afternoon! Really happy to have used the leftover tag from last season and not waste it! My buddy stuck an 8pt about the same size in the SZ yesterday afternoon, outside of those, only saw one guy up the road got a doe on Sat as well. It may be warm but there is a ton of sign & food for the deer this year, I have a feeling we are going to see the best season in years! Good luck all and shoot straight!!!! - 'Slayer!

8pt I killed in Saratoga County on Sat (9/28/2013), second day of early bow in the NZ

Here's an 8pt I killed this Sat on the 2nd day of NZ early bow!

Too hot and toooooo wet out there! Can't seem to get a break this week from the mosquitoes and the rain. Been out 3 times since Tuesday opener, saw 3 deer, 1 yote and a fox tues afternoon, then yesterday aft had 2 does wind me but they had no visual on me so they paced around behind me just blowing, ended up getting the draw on one of them 35 yards behind me & the bi### ducked the arrow on her way outta there! oh well hopefully the weather improves for the aft today. Good luck all!