IronBucks

Thanks for posting a follow up. Glad you got eyes on him and know he is running (or limping) around. Get that gun out and go after him this weekend! Don't pay attention to the negative comments. Not every shot is perfect and not every deer is found. Just because you shoot and miss or shoot and wound does not automatically mean you are careless. It happens to the best. We, as hunters, have a responsibility not only to the safety of other hunters but also to make sure we harvest animals in a very ethical and humane way. We wait and take that perfect shot but there are always other factors that come in to play. There are people out there who give us all a bad name and a lot of times people jump to conclusions not fully knowing the whole situation. You were the one in the situation and you know what lines you can walk and what you can't. Bets of luck this season!

I live just north of Clifton Park and I also called them to ask the same question last year and I was told shotgun only. The DEC doesn't decide which towns have which ordinances...the towns decide and the DEC helps to enforce. Good luck this weekend! Where will you be hunting?

After losing the land I've hunted on for years at the last minute this season I was able to secure a lease. It's about 30 acres and 25 of it is on wetlands. I was originally going to set up on a dry area, but a few people have said that they see most of the deer walking around in the swamp. Wondering what others would do. Because I haven't been able to do much scouting other than one week...I'll bring a climber so I can move around. Just curious how much luck others have had in the swamp....

I'd also be curious to see. I am leasing 30 acres with the option to buy this year.

I would have passed. Next year that thing could have a good rack.

The deer was probably shot from an elevated treestand...not by a kid flying an arrow up in the air.

Looking for opinions on recommended safety harnesses. I usually hunt from ladder stands with a safety rail and I've used some of the cheaper harnesses. I'll be in the air with a hang on this weekend so I would like to use a better harness.

Congratulations!!! Beautiful rack!

I used Arsenaults last year. They were fairly reasonable. I bought some sausage and it was just under $100 I believe with seal wrapping. I was a little surprised that they gave me a lot of whole cuts...I received a full neck and the hind quarters still on the bone so I had a lot I ended up doing myself. Because of that, I think I am going to try it myself this year. I used Bill Leary in Albany as well off of Central Ave but last year he was sick and was not processing. I would say that Bill is the best butcher I have ever used and I would go to him again if he is able this year.

I was wondering if anyone had a copy of a land lease that they would be willing to share. I just spoke with a landowner that is going to let me hunt 30 acres exclusively for the amount he owes on his taxes. I asked him the details of the lease and he told me to draw one up and he will sign it. He said that as long as I pay the taxes I can hunt it like it's mine and if all works out well he will sell the land at a bargain after the season. Thanks!

Yes

I mentioned Code Blue in a post last week about mock scrapes. A few people asked about it and I used it for the first time last week. One of the properties I've hunted for the past two years, is a farm that is loaded with doe and fawn and I see a handful of them every time I go out. Last year I saw a spike and this year I saw a 4 on opening day but other than that I haven't seen any bucks (although I have seen sign they are there) and I haven't caught a single one on camera either. It's a corn farm with overgrown brush, thing tree rows, and the farmer will only let me hunt from the ground. It is really tough hunting because I don't have many lanes for visibility. I created a mock scrape and put out Code Blue last Friday. Within 24 hours I had 3 bucks on camera over the scrape including this 8pt. I moved the camera to another spot and created another scrape with more Code Blue last night. I'll check the camera later this week and post an update.

Congratulations!!!

Exactly why I say that diet and exercise goes hand in hand. The magical diets drop off the weight quickly because you shock your system but then you eventually level off and put it back on. You can work out and still eat like crap and the same will happen. Combine the two and keep mixing up workouts and setting new goals for yourself and the weight will drop. My weight fluctuates 15-20 pounds between the peak of my racing season and the peak of hunting season (sitting and eating snacks...).

I was not suggesting that you cut out ALL carbs, just some and at the right times. Loading up with carbs right before bed it not the best idea if you are trying to drop pounds. "Walking is useless for weight loss unless you are deliberately carrying a heavy pack and walking inclines.You need to be sweating like a hog to lose weight with a norm pattern of eating." I 100% disagree with that (not trying to start a war here). You have to start somewhere. Some people will be sweating like a hog just form walking. If you are just looking to start a physical fitness program, walking is an excellent start.

Thanks for the feedback. I actually tried a mock scrape with some code blue and set up a trial cam nearby. I'll let you know what I see..

I'm kind of a fitness guru so I figured I would chime in. When I got my first job out of college I was sitting at a desk for 60 hours each week and I would go party at night. I quickly became overweight and also took up smoking. I needed to get out of the rut so I signed up for a 5K. 15 years later I have competed in multiple marathons and triathlons including a full Ironman distance (hence the name IronBucks!). Lessons I learned: 1. Keep it simple and keep it fun. 2. Set specific and attainable goals. If you are walking a mile now, your goal might be to increase to a mile in a half or to drop your mile time. 3. Keep adjusting your goals when you hit them and set the bar higher. 4. Exercising is only one part of getting more fit, diet is the other. You don't have to drop everything at once and go cold turkey! Ease your way into it by slowly cutting out carbs or slowly start moving from white bread to wheat, etc. Cut out the late night snack, etc. My father lost 15 pounds in 2 months by just not eating a row of Oreos before bed. 5. Don't be afraid to take a day off. If you are just exhausted from work, sick or you are hurt, you can do more harm than good so take an OCCASIONAL day off. 6. When you hit your goals, treat yourself to a cheat day on the diet or give yourself some kind of reward. 7. If you do want to be in better shape for walking with the weight of a gun or a day pack, I would suggest practicing with a pack and having some weight in it. 8. Mix it up. Don't just do the daily walking, do something different occasionally...most anything that will get your heart rate up will help to increase your fitness (get your minds out of the gutter). 9. Drink water while your exersizing. Most people get muscle cramps and injuries because they are not hydrated. Good luck! Feel free to PM me...

Awesome! Don't tell my boss...

Thanks for the feedback. How exactly do I determine if I have a "fast bow"? I have a 29.5 inch draw and my bow is set a 65 lbs. It is a 2012 PSE Stinger. I shoot Easton Axis n-fused carbon 340's (I'll take other recommendations). I am using the chisel tip rage 2 broadheads.

After reading another thread, I was curious how most people have their pins set up. I am new to the bow and I have mine set up at 10, 20, and 30. I don't have anything set up beyond that because, frankly, I am not confident in a 30+ yard shot just yet and wouldn't take one. This year I am stuck hunting on the ground, but I'd also be curious to see how many people have a "treestand pin" set up.

I don't know, but I would like to hear the answers. Same thing happened to me yesterday. I walked out into a field when I was headed to my blind and there were 5 deer (doe and fawn). The definitely spotted me. I stepped into some tall grass just to get some cover. The blew a few times and were stomping at me. I blew a couple of grunts back. The odd part was that as time went by, they kept walking closer and closer like they were curious to find out what I was. I had two within 10 feet of my as I was just standing in tall grass and I was using my bow to cover my face. I was wondering how close I would let them get before trying to spook them...but they stopped once they got within tackling distance. I stood completely still other than taking a couple pictures. It started to get dark it it took up my whole hunt. I needed to walk out but they were still blocking my path so after a couple of hours I had to spook them by stepping out.

How do you decide on the best location to put a mock scrape? If you do more than one, how close together will you put them? Will you place any Doe scent near the scrape? Thanks!

I am probably going to regret saying this...but I actually called the DEC in early December 2010 after seeing what I thought was a mountain lion at the crack of dawn one morning on my drive to work after a big snowstorm. I live about 20 minutes south of Lake George. I was fairly certain it was a mountain lion, but didn't think it was a wild animal, I thought it might have escaped form the ADK Zoo or something. It was about 20 feet from the road on the edge of the woods. The DEC basically laughed at me and then I went home and told my family and they did the same. The DEC said that it was probably a coyote or bobcat so I figured I saw wrong. That weekend, I went to a hunting camp in the southern tier for the last weekend of gun season and told the guys what I saw. They showed me a printed up trail cam picture that they caught of a mountain lion at the camp. I will see if I can get them to send me the digital image so I can post it here. I was excited when I heard about a cat they found in CT, and even more excited to hear it passed through NY right around the time I called the DEC.

If I were you I would definitely pass on him and then give him cab fare and directions to my hunting land...

I love my QAD