moog5050

Sorry, I don't check this all the time. It is right handed and still available. Its a great gun at a very good price. Email me at [email protected] for pics. Thanks.

Thanks Phade. Being over the trail mostly might have been a mistake, but I took advice form cousin who gun hunts. So be it. Not many other options for large trees so I will give it a try this year and see how it goes. Too late to move it now. I also have a climber that I may use if things are too slow in that area. Good idea on posting arial next time.

Thanks Deerslayer. It is a very accurate rifle. Not to mention, the stock is beautiful, as is the engraving. I wouldn't sell it other than my need to fund the bow purchase.

I purchased this rifle and scope about 2 months ago. I have taken it to the range twice and it shoots great. I have approximately $1,400 into this combo but will let it go for $950. I also may consider selling the rifle only. Its very accurate (MOA), especially for a semi-automatic. Absolutely no marks - truly like new. Selling to fund my recent bow purchase. Email me at [email protected] for photos or call me at 585-739-1427 with questions. I live in Monroe County. Thanks. Brian

Good advice Bill

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I also purchased a climber. I figure if I need to move after some days in the ladder stand, the climber will allow me to do so. I also need to get a camera out there asap. Thanks again.

The stand is set almost parallel to the large east/west deer run, facing north. Its a two man stand, so I have room to sit or stand, but standing would be my first option, as it would allow me a bit greater area to take comfortable shots going right (where the trails intersect). Its a heavily wooded area, but reasonably flat. I will come in from the east, so I should not have to cross the trails much, if at all and would be entering downwind from the predominant winds. All good points and thanks for raising them. I really didn't think about entry, but I guess it worked out well nonetheless. I will be careful not to walk the trails as I enter.

After walking the 45 acres I was given permission to hunt this year, I finally decided on a stand location and set it up yesterday. That said, I would appreciate your comments as this is my first year hunting. I plan to try both bow and shotgun. The following is a description of where I placed the stand. Feel free to let me know if you think I made a mistake. My decision was based on lots of reading, but no real world experience in hunting in upstate NY. Wind is predominantly from the West, so I set up on the East side of the property. Stand is in a huge Oak next to a dry river bed with a large deer run right under the tree going west/east. It also intersects with two more deer runs within 30 yards or so, running diagonally north/south to my east. There is a small food plot on the property to my West in a clearing out of the woods maybe 50 yards and then others to the east of me on property that I do not have permission to hunt (150 yards or so - that may be the reaons for the large deer run running west/east). Without having much experience, I think it’s a pretty good spot and open enough to bow hunt it, although I do plan to return Friday to clear a few branches that open up the intersection of the runs a bit. I am hesitant to clear too much, but dropping a few small branches would give me a clearer shot to that area. Without being able to see the land, any big errors in choosing the area I described to you? There are quite a few deer tracks on the property in general and some recent droppings. The creek bed had some tracks, but they appeared to be older tracks, but the run under the stand is pretty large. To top it off, there was a peregrine falcon in the trees above the stand area, just hanging out the entire time we set up. I suspect he has a nest nearby. Not sure if that means anything other than he likely hunts that area himself.

Interesting question. I was asking myself the same thing as I was setting a stand yesterday for the first time. I have 3 good areas, I think, around the stand, but only 2/3 of those areas are really useful since I would have a move quite a bit in my stand to shoot to the area farthest right. Good suggestions on either moving slowly or letting it walk. If it happens, I suspect I will take Doc's advice and wait for another day.

Thanks for the welcome everyone. If anyone lives near my area and has any suggestions, I would love to hear from you. Going out to set up a stand today in Scottsville. Its 90 acres and the owner doesn't hunt bow, so it will only be me and one other hunter for the bow season. Hopefully that will increase my odds, despite the mistakes I am sure to make in my first season.

Really interesting. I personally think something like this on this forum would be helpful to us newbies. Starting at 42 years old can be a daunting task. That said, the information on this site and others is helpful and would not have been available even 10 years ago to new hunters. If someone has a strong enough desire, they will learn. But a mentor would certainly encourage those who are on the fence or not sufficiently self motivated to do their homework.

My name is Brian and am 42 years old. Been shooting for some time, but never hunted. Thanks to all of your contributors for a great forum. I will try hunting this year for the first time and have already learned much from lurking here. Here's to my first deer, I hope, and seeing photos of the many you will bag this year. Good hunting.

I have been reading this forum for a while, but this thread prompted me to sign up. I am a new hunter at 42 years old. This will be my first season. I do a lot of target shooting (both bow and gun), but decided this year to give actual hunting a try. So far, for me, the biggest difficulty is getting people to teach you the ropes. Sure I can shoot, but as you know, that doesn't mean I know how to hunt. I think a mentoring program would be great, even for us older novices. The courses give you a good start, but accompanying someone that knows what they are doing on a hunt would be so much more helpful. Finding land to hunt is also tough around here. Most hunters I know seem very protective of the land they hunt and are not inclined to bring you in on their game land. I am determined to learn and later teach my son, as I think its a great sport. I will do it with or without mentoring, but that would be great. I learned to fish for salmon and trout years ago by taking charters and later bought a boat. I may do the same thing this year by going on a guided hunt to learn something. If there are any volunteers in the Rochester area, I would be thrilled to learn a thing or two. I plan to try both bow and shotgun this year.