First-light

Take it from me "first light" is always the best……...

It's a bird that landed on the wound and is cleaning out the maggots.

I'm sitting at camp cleaning things up and going to head home at 9:00. Yesterday was a good one. I went to my bottom stand and didn't see a thing, stayed to 9:00 and walked my property. To my amazement there wed twice as many buck rubs than opening week. These were very aggressive rubs thrashing pine trees and a few large rubs were found. Got back to camp by 10:30 and the neighbors I spent the evening with stopped by. They asked if I wanted to join in a push at 1:00 I agreed and we met not at 1 but 2:30. I was a stander and picked a great funnel area. It only took 10 minutes and I had 3 doe come by then a single deer hauling ass. 5 minutes later here come 7 doe right at me 3 hogs 4 yearlings. I didn't have a doe permit so I tried pushing them back into the drive. They wanted no part of that and ran past me at 10 yards. One last look behind me and I see 3 deer headed to the flat on my property. The lead doe stood for 5 minutes before crossing my field. The other two deer with her were a small doe and a half rack buck, probably one of those small 8's I saw. I watched as they cleared my field and headed up the hill side. As the two boys and their father approached he asked did you see any deer? I told them what happened and he said why didn't you shoot a doe? I said I used my doe permit last week, he says I have a few extras in my pocket thought we told you that??? I say nope!! We laughed and moved on. It was about 3:30 I was headed to a stand along the cut corn. I watched from the trail as some geese were landing, I take a pit stop and turn to see a yearling doe bedded in the brush 15 feet from me. She was sleeping and had no idea I was there. Fist time this ever happened. I watch for a bit and gave a little cough she bolted with out even looking my way from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds! 4:30 30 turkeys walk in and roost all around me. Good size birds hope they make a lot of babies. That's it until Long Island season in January. Be safe folks!

Had a few beers with my neighbors to the north. They border my backside of the property. 3 generations at the camp it was nice just hanging out trading stories. Two young men there wide eyed and eager to join in on the stories. Nice to see the youngsters carry on the tradition. Probably last hunt at the camp this year hope it a memorable one. BTW the guys told me last night they tracked that buck with the injured leg into their swamp. Guess he is in his comfort zone. Hope he makes it………...

Same here. Last hunt at the upstate camp for 2014……..

Same to you Zemm! Just got back in still hunted in at 3:30 saw very few tracks. Went down to the bottom of the swail and saw nothing. Just a couple of shots that was it back at it tomorrow.

Headed back tomorrow. Should be able to hunt last 2 hrs of Friday and the whole day Saturday. If we have snow I will find the tracks of the big buck that I saw on Opening day. I will hunt him down and have pictures up Saturday night, yup my mind is made up!! lol Seriously the amount of land around me and the lack of hunting pressure will help in my quest!

Enjoy the day folks!!

115-120 at best.

That is great! I hoping for the same story this weekend. That buck is huge look at that from hoof.

Hey there is only one "Doc" on this site………..

I have seen doe with horns not in velvet. Saw a beauty down in Watkins Glen one year and it had hard horn.

I like liver and I'm sure if it was made for me the heart as well. I just can't eat the organs from the deer I shot. I did bring back the liver for my neighbor this year on my doe.

Nope the only thing I'll be hunting for is a cab on 7th ave……..I'm back to camp Friday afternoon-Sunday morn.

Eastern Coyotes are larger then coyotes in other parts of the United States. Coyotes range from 35-to-45 pounds. Some males can easily exceed 60 pounds. Some larger coyotes can be the same size as a gray wolf. The largest coyote weighed 74 pounds and was over five feet long. The length of the coyote is from 30-to-34 inches (not including the tail). The height to the shoulder ranges from 23-to-26 inches. Most coyotes have the appearence of a German Shepherd. Coyotes can run up to 43 MPH, and leap over 13 feet. Prior to the 1900's coyotes were pushed out by the Gray Wolves (Timber Wolves). When Gray Wolves were hunted to extinction in the east coast, this gave coyotes the ability to re-establish back in the east coast. By 1900, coyotes had moved back into southern Canada. By, 1920 coyotes had moved into New York State. One of coyotes greatest ability to thrive and survive is the their ability to range up to 100 miles during their lifetime. This give them the exceptional ability to re-establish themselves. One of the biggest issues that people have with the Eastern Coyote and Gray Wolves is that a large Eastern Coyote looks almost identical to a Gray Wolf. Many believe that large coyotes are actually Gray Wolves. DNA analysis has now shown that hybridization has occured between coyotes and gray wolves. It is believed that the hybridization occurred in southern Canada where both coyotes and wolves coexist. Today coyotes populations are estimated between 20,000 and 30,000. Population levels fluctuate year-to-year depending upon the availability of prey and ravages of disease. Coyotes exist everywhere in New York except for Long Island. Right now it is believed that Gray Wolves do not exist in New York. But, it is believe it is just a matter of time before they migrate into New York from Canada. If they do appear in New York, they will be first sighted in the Adirondacks. Coyotes travel with their tails down, where Gray Wolves travel with their tails up. Why not in NY??

If you read up on wolves and coyotes it is almost impossible to tell the difference between an Eastern grey wolf and a large Coyote.

This happened years ago around my brother in laws house in Burdett NY. He has pictures of the Buffalo in his front yard and such. I don't know if any were shot though.

Why the hell did they announce this at night. It just adds fuel to the fire and gives these idiots the cover of darkness. The prosecutor knows this. What a sad place for sure.

My property is in 8P. We have some great land around us that has a lot of cover and food. I have owned the place for 7 years now and have seen about 20+ bear. Most at hunting season (bow). One afternoon sit I saw 6 bear, A giant corn field was being cut and my stand was on the escape route. They love corn and show up at the most odd times.

Wild west in PA.

Good job Fletch!

Those bears are so hard to predict. We had a Moma and tee cubs around my bother with a down deer. They wouldn't leave even when I came over and tried to push them. Two rounds from my gun sent them into the corn. Man they love corn...

Yeah we go way back, I actually taught him how to skin a head the right way. He's getting on in age and probably wasn't wearing his glasses. Like he said, buck blood in his veins!

Damn, you stopped bleeding and leaving a trail in seconds. You are my hero! lol All seriousness watch for infection.

Since you live so remotely out in the wilderness I thought I would help you a bit for the next time. Now I'm glad you are ok that is the important thing here, just a few pointers for the next attempt at skinning that deer head: (BTW I like #2) Cuts Pack the cut in axle grease. Take a large army ant and apply him to the cut, so that he takes hold of each side of the wound with his pincers. Cut his head off from his body, leaving his head to hold the cut together. Apply spider’s web to a bleeding cut.