First-light

Funny, Charlie's place is 2 miles from my camp!

Had some excitement! Good luck later in the week, it will be getting cold they should be on the move!

I could go for 3,4 and 5. Tax credits is a good idea. I get tax credits by being in the agricultural program, why not hunting?

Not every shot ends up where you want it, could of been deflected. One hell of a tough deer.

If I had to cast a vote right now on any changes to the hunting season, I would leave it alone. What is so bad about the NYS deer season anyway? We have multiple opportunities to harvest deer. Lucky hunters can get a DMP permit. I know from region to region the herd changes but where I hunt we have all age groups of deer. If you lucky enough you my take a 3.5 or 4.5 year old deer. If not there are plenty of doe and smaller bucks to hunt. I went bow hunting 7 days this year saw plenty of deer. I hunted opening weekend and Monday morning we took two huge doe and one nice 4pt. We saw plenty of deer. My hunting experience includes hunting with family and friends, being able to shoot what I want to shoot and seeing the deer in their element. If we harvest deer all the better. Again I wouldn't change the way NYS manages the hunting season. My opinion, what's yours?

Turnips aren't touched yet, it amazes me.

The full moon may some impact.

This is all good information and it seems that we will never agree 100% on some type of practice. If I had to cast a vote right now on any changes to the hunting season, I would have none. What is so bad about the NYS deer season anyway? We have multiple opportunities to harvest deer. Lucky hunters can get a DMP permit. I know from region to region the herd changes but where I hunt we have all age groups of deer. If you lucky enough you my take a 3.5 or 4.5 year old deer. If not there are plenty of doe and smaller bucks to hunt. I went bow hunting 7 days this year saw plenty of deer. I hunted opening weekend and Monday morning we took two huge doe and one nice 4pt. We saw plenty of deer. My hunting experience includes hunting with good friends, being able to shoot what I want to shoot and seeing the deer in their element. If we harvest deer all the better. Again I wouldn't change the way NYS manages the hunting season.

Just an observation about the bucks. They were still hitting the scrapes in my area. Every scrape was freshly pawed over each night. Thought it would be a bit late for this?

Good shot Eddie!

I should start calling him that!!! Yes I still have a buck tag. Thanks guys these were some pretty big deer had alot of fat on them.

8P had shots from 6:20 to 6:35 5 shots in all. The property in the back of us had no hunters and they call themselves a gun club??? It was very slow opening day, we scored (see my journal) but my neighbor who has in 11 people to hunt only shot 1 buck sat-mon.

So sorry, he went out doing what he loved but way too soon.

OMG! We dropped off my father-in-law at his sons house 11:00 pm Friday night. It is a 50 min drive to the cabin in Howard, we had 3 almost car deer collisions! One doe actually was running right into the side of my car, one sick puppy!

Hey everyone, We just got back from camp. Saturday was a very trying day with the wind and lack of hunters moving game. The guys behind us who own a 300 plus acre property were not in for opening day as well as my next door neighbor. After not seeing anything in the morning I met up with my brother and we had coffee in the woods together. We planned on staying in all day so we packed accordingly. After we split up about 1:00 I see two deer out in front of me, two doe. I take aim on the second one and touch off a shot. They continue to run, the shot was about 80 yards. I hear more shooting where my brother was, maybe he connected also? I went to look for blood and found some specs and it increased as I followed. At about 50 yards I see the deer I shot standing so I put one more into her and she is finished. A hog of a doe, I would guess 2.5 years old dressed out at 135lbs. I call my brother and he says he shot but can't find blood. I tell him to continue looking while I drag my deer out. He calls and says he has blood so I come over to help. We follow the same type of blood trail that my deer laid down. The blood trail abruptly stops so we do circles looking for another 1.5 hrs. I keep on smelling a musky deer order now and then. I say to myself that deer is out in the field in front of us. We give up the search and I tell my brother that I would walk down the middle of the field having a hunch she is there. Well I find her right out in te open, another huge doe. She dresses out at 129lbs. Each shot was a bit back from the shoulder, blowing out the stomach and liver. Well we leave the deer and continue to hunt. We don't see anything so I go up to get the quad at dark. While driving back I round the corner in our pines and there is the rear end of a deer on the trail, he picks up his head and it's the big white racked 8 pt. I am about 3 feet from the buck and I put on the brakes and he jumps up and to the left into the thick pines. We had such a great laugh about that. We see some more deer on Sunday but only does. As we walk out there is a doe in our big field of clover. you can see her plain as day with the moon and the horizon. We stalk her and get within 30 feet, it was really cool. She finally busts us and runs off. Monday morning we hunt and I moved some stands. I met up with my brother and the bottom of the property where in the last hour I was making noise moving the stands. He wants to hunt another hour so I go back to the cabin. As I get to the top of the property I hear shooting from where he was. He bags a nice 4pt. He swears that the hocks he cut off the doe led that buck in. Maybe so cause te wind was blowing right at the deer. We had a great time, my neighbor who has in alot of family the first week of season only took a broken rack 6pt. Slow for them so far. We had a great time have plenty of meat!!!!! Enjoy the pictures, Burt

Hey everyone, We just got back from camp. Saturday was a very trying day with the wind and lack of hunters moving game. The guys behind us who own a 300 plus acre property were not in for opening day as well as my next door neighbor. After not seeing anything in the morning I met up with my brother and we had coffee in the woods together. We planned on staying in all day so we packed accordingly. After we split up about 1:00 I see two deer out in front of me, two doe. I take aim on the second one and touch off a shot. They continue to run, the shot was about 80 yards. I hear more shooting where my brother was, maybe he connected also? I went to look for blood and found some specs and it increased as I followed. At about 50 yards I see the deer I shot standing so I put one more into her and she is finished. A hog of a doe, I would guess 2.5 years old dressed out at 135lbs. I call my brother and he says he shot but can't find blood. I tell him to continue looking while I drag my deer out. He calls and says he has blood so I come over to help. We follow the same type of blood trail that my deer laid down. The blood trail abruptly stops so we do circles looking for another 1.5 hrs. I keep on smelling a musky deer order now and then. I say to myself that deer is out in the field in front of us. We give up the search and I tell my brother that I would walk down the middle of the field having a hunch she is there. Well I find her right out in te open, another huge doe. She dresses out at 129lbs. Each shot was a bit back from the shoulder, blowing out the stomach and liver. Well we leave the deer and continue to hunt. We don't see anything so I go up to get the quad at dark. While driving back I round the corner in our pines and there is the rear end of a deer on the trail, he picks up his head and it's the big white racked 8 pt. I am about 3 feet from the buck and I put on the brakes and he jumps up and to the left into the thick pines. We had such a great laugh about that. We see some more deer on Sunday but only does. As we walk out there is a doe in our big field of clover. you can see her plain as day with the moon and the horizon. We stalk her and get within 30 feet, it was really cool. She finally busts us and runs off. Monday morning we hunt and I moved some stands. I met up with my brother and the bottom of the property where in the last hour I was making noise moving the stands. He wants to hunt another hour so I go back to the cabin. As I get to the top of the property I hear shooting from where he was. He bags a nice 4pt. He swears that the hocks he cut off the doe led that buck in. Maybe so cause te wind was blowing right at the deer. We had a great time, my neighbor who has in alot of family the first week of season only took a broken rack 6pt. Slow for them so far. We had a great time have plenty of meat!!!!! Enjoy the pictures, Burt

I think 2.5 year old deer is mature. Do I harvest 1.5, yes. If I had more time in the woods I would think about passing the 1.5's. I don't and love venison so a 1.5 will do.

I got one on my property. She is real light colored with some spots, pieball. I will shoot her if I get the chance. Funny thing I watched her and 4 other doe cross my field. The 4 doe got out in front of her and she stayed at the edge of the woods. They crossed but she went up to where there was more cover and crossed there. Go figure? Oh yea, my neighbor has a full body mount of a pieball, looks great. He still scores every year!

I don't hunt those areas but right now probably isn't the best time to get an answer. All the boys are on their way or at camp. Bet you have an answer next week. GL

Once again, congrats!

Are the animals getting bigger or are we getting smaller??? That is huge!

Some of us are gone by now some are leaving this morning and some (like me) have to work and will leave tonight. Good luck this weekend the weather looks perfect! Be safe, know your limitations, know your target and know what's behind it! Hope you bag a Big one, Burt

Good luck John!

Eddie, Good luck Saturday!

Good luck Fletch!