deerinsight

Here is info. From the DEC representative I have been speaking to. NYSDEC does not maintain a list of broad heads that are acceptable or unacceptable for use in New York. It is the hunters' responsibility to recognize whether the broad heads they purchase and use meet the legal standard for big game hunting in New York. See http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html#Bowhunting and http://www.dec.ny.gov/regs/3934.html#13351 for bow hunting equipment regulations. Rage makes a 2-bladed and 3-bladed broad head and our DEC Division of Law Enforcement has looked at both broad heads. Both versions seem to deploy well and meet NY's legal requirements for number of cutting surfaces and cutting width. However the 3-bladed version does not seem to retract consistently. That is, the blades of the Rage 3 do not seem too consistently "freely swing forward" into a non-barbed position upon extraction of the arrow as required by NYS Regulations. While mechanically it is possible for the blades of the Rage 3 to freely pivot forward, during our examination the blades occasionally got caught on each other and therefore may act as a barbed broad head. Barbed broad heads are illegal for big game hunting in NY, but our laws and regulations do not prohibit barbed broad heads for turkey, coyote, or small game.

Great pics! soon to see more?

I believe That 3 blade rage or illegal. Two blades are not. Just to make sure I have just sent an e-mail to a man I have been talking with, from the DEC.

I was just wondering if anybody hunts region 9. This is whare I hunt archery season once or twice a week during the early season. I have property up there I grew up on in Mayville but know I live in Texas. I will be going up there the last week of October this year to hunt. I also will be going up about a week from now with my family. To get some plots planted and a couple of trails cleaned up.

Larry, I agree with you on habitat improvement. We do this also in my property in New York and in Texas. One thing on Food plots I will say is that we have what you can call safe havens we have areas of the properties we do not hunt we also have food plots we do not hunt no matter what we see in them bedding areas and the big food plots an acre or more we just don't hunt them. We do have little honey holes that we keep planted but just because the plot is there it doesn’t mean that you will continuously take a deer from that particular area. specially when the acorns are dropping. I have abandoned several food plot during the hunting season. A relocated to the stands located in the acorns and in New York get in the apples, acorns and wallnuts things of that nature.

I will have to agree with WNYbuckhunter on this. Still a lot of development time left.

I use muzzy three blade hundred grain for hogs bone crushing But for deer I use the rage 2 blade blood trail no problem devastating on deer Don't think I would use them to much on a hog thou.

The most exciting moments for me was when my two boys shot there first deer @ the age of 9 yrs old. The other exciting moment was we my boys shot there first buck my oldest boy shoot a nice 8 at the age of ten years old and my youngest boy shoot his first buck at the age of 11 that was a 10 pointer. I know I was so excited that a I actually lost my composure in a big way. It was a great day and I don't think I could ever be more excited as I was those days. My boys are 13 and 15 now and we have so much fun during hunting season that very few things can compare.

I piss in a bottle while Bow hunting in New York I am not saying it makes a difference ether way. I just don't want to take any chances as I only get one or two weeks in New York to bow hunt. In Texas during rifle season I just piss out the back door of my blind usually. We have a lot more opportunities there to get a deer. 2 1/2 months basically

Doc, Know that is a great response to Thehunters Question. I don't believe too many people could have said it better.

Fairgame, If you are seeing deer up to 3 1/2 years old you more then likely have a good age structure in place. If you are seeing mostly 2.5 year old deer and younger each year then the area maybe being hunted to hard, many young deer each year are being taken out or just to much pressure. This is where the Management programs come in to play (AR/ QDM). I may not yet have as many years of hunting and managing as some but my hunting experience or 20-22 years and QDM the last 12 years have showing me this to be true in a lot of cases. Just a Note: deer just don't grow when the are put on the ground!

Larry, Regarding your post about your boys. Yes I get more excited when I hunt with My two boys now ages 13 and 15. Yes we do have a lot of fun sitting in the blind wathing studying the deer, talking, enjoying Nature and just being out there. regarding to AR or QDM it takes discipline from the hunter and land owner to make the right decisions. For that particular area being managed.

I said a trophy is a mature deer. 5 1/2 or older to be more specific and that is a trophy in my book as it takes a lot of scouting and thought to hunt a deer of this age unless we get lucky. If it is a four pointer (mature) then It should have been or it should be taken out If I seen a eleven pointer and had any doubt that it was less then a mature buck I still would not shoot it that is just the way I look at it. I believe in keeping the good genetics in a herd and taking out the more not so desired deer

Look like it has great potential. Good luck hunting it.

I shoot year round. I have a place in my back yard that ranges out to 60 yards I practice from 10 to 60 yards in many different ways. Elevated, sitting, standing. I also try to set target up in realistic was such as putting targets on the other side of trees or brush I also practice in the wind, light rain, warm and cool temps. One thing I have never done thou in a real situation is shot a deer past 45 yards there is just to many unpredictability’s in the long range shoot and I just don't feel comfortable with that.

It’s great to see that most hunting is done in a still position mostly tree stands or ground blinds. This reduces the pressure on the deer.

I live and hunt In Texas as some of you may know by now. I was raised in Mayville New York (region 9) on the same property I grew up on. The property has been in my family for +/- 100 yrs This is the Property that I know own and Hunt I have seen the hunting in New York change allot in the past 38 years well at least since I can remember.

The result of 120 and 150 is because of QDM. But I am not saying this will be accomplished in all areas because it has to do with genetics also. We are not trophy hunter per say as you stated we are managing the area with respect to quality deer and that is what we have as a result. We may never see a 170 class in are area of Texas we hunt but the herd is healthy and that is are goal. Saying this I don't know yet how the area in New York (Region 9) will be for the big bucks, but I do know that since we started from 4 years ago the deer look a lot heather and have been 10 to 20 lbs heavier and the bucks that have been seen are showing great potential. My boys and I are not as some say trophy hunter we are management hunters as I have stated. One Last thing we need to ask are self what is a trophy? To me a Trophy is a Mature deer. Not necessarily the inches of his head gear. It seams That I have been defending My self about QDM / AR since the get go I am just getting info out to ya’ll about what The AR / QDM program can bring to all of us in the Future. If you just want to shoot any deer well that is your right at this time But the Biologists, Land owners and Hunters may see that QDM is a great tool to produce Healthy herds As for lee and Tiffany go I watch that just because Tiffany is fine.

I was just showing pictures of the deer so ya’ll can see what can happen with restrictions in place. We took these deer out because we had too many eight pointers on the property. The restrictions in the area of Texas where my kids and I hunt are one buck 13” or better and one buck with one antler being unbranched. Some may ask how you can tell if the rack is 13” or better, well if the ears are fully inside the rack it is at least 13”. But we take it one step further and shoot only 4 ½ year old buck, scrub bucks and does. I do have property in New York that I own. I strictly Bow hunt this property and my uncle and a couple others bow hunt and gun hunt the property. But I am strict on what is taking. They take does and the occasional what we call scrub bucks. We have done this on the property for four years and have seen great results this past year My Uncle who helps take care of the place Seen 2 tens and 1 twelve pointer we have also seen several nice young bucks 3 1/2 year old or younger. This year I have put in place an 8 point or better rule and still take does and scrub bucks this will help with the age structure. This is not to offend anyone but when I talk about deer management and deer hunting I don't speak BS. I am Obsessed with managing and hunting deer. I hope this clears the confusing

You are right about the AR protecting the yearlings. But people that want quality deer need to under stand that it takes years at leats three if not longer to obtain a structured heard. It just depends on Mother Nature and what we the land owner and hunter's do to help the proses. I am a true believer of managing deer and providing quality alternative food supply (food Plots). One last thing on all this is Genetics with out it you can have a healthy head but you may never get that high score head gear. But like I tell my Boys a trophy is a mature buck.

Don't worry I select hunt so I won't stick a arrow in all the deer when I come up in October. I own 70 ac. in Chautauqua county I hunt.

Hello I am new to the sight but this is a good topic that has been brought up. I believe the antler restrictions are a great way to keep young 1 and 2 year old bucks from being taking out. This is a great way to manage the heard. One thing though about antler restrictions and I have not yet read on the restrictions for your area but if you can not take out a 2 year old spike you will always have that characteristic in your area. So in any case observe your deer as much as you can keep a log of deer seen and deer harvested also for those strictly meet hunters shoot does, does, does just be sure it’s a doe preferably an older doe they eat just as good. If the buck to doe racial is not in place you may have Dominate buck 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 yrs olds you will never see. Food plots are an excellent way to nourish your deer it is like taking a grocery store and making it a supermarkets great nutation and more to chose from. Pic attached This was year of taking out the eight pointers wich is what also can happen with restrictions. but all of them scored fom 136" to 154" I have another one that a buddy of mine took out but I was ne=ot able to attach it sorry. The two showing are 145" and 136"