Geno C

and BTW dave, no offense to you or anyone else but you WONT kill a big one shooting the first thing you see simply to fill your tag... if one holds out on the smaller ones maybe one just might have a crack at something nice... but if every guy in NY shot the first thing or anything they saw it would be no wonder why there are only small deer or few and far between...

what are you talking about Dave? its apples to oranges from county to county not just up north to long island... IMO there are monster deer taken every year in western NY and their are plenty of guys who pass up deer all day long i am sure. passing them up doesnt make then any better hunter then you or I so to be honest i really dont get your comment and why you singled me out right now when others have told newbreed the same thing. it has nothing to do with me hunting long island. I see some guys get the wrong ideas on those who pass on deer and thats fine. if your limited to shoot what you can then by all means, DO SO... if you have other oprotunities and decide to pass than thats my call and should have no bearing on you or anyone else in here as to what i choose to do in the woods so long as i am safe. i see alot of comments about guys who appear to me who generally have small deer in their area or little time to hunt pass judgment on those with (lack of better term) better oprtunities and im tired of seeing comments about the guys who choose to pass on small deer and how crazy they are. If you or anyone else choose not to pass then shoot the dang thing but like newbreed said iam tired of shooting small deer and if i need the meat ill fill my doe tag.

i feel you newbreed, ive passed every buck i have seen this season so far with a few in between with no shots or shots i just plain wont take. there is no shame in it and i like yourself are tired of taking 1.5's also. Some dont have the liberty to hold off of deer but if you do, do it...

my god how is any of your HDL's done before deer season?? lol does this list ever get accomplished? jeez lol

what a neat buck! congrats

wow that was some read! lol you did the right thing tho, you had 2 options and you went with what you thought was right OR and please do not take offence to this but maybe subconsciously you didnt want to burn your buck tag on a deer you didnt kill? Looking at it in retro spec after seeing how things unfolded with the DEC officer confiscating the deer maybe sealed the deal for the thought of you using your tag and claim it. Damned if you do, Damned if you dont... You did what you thought was right and the outcome may not have been whats to be expected. Hopefully the deer goes to a good cause and at a bare minimum all 3 of you may have learned something from it.

yeah i think it was just this week being a few variables with weather and moon. it prob through off the feed habits i have been seeing and also maybe put some rut activity on hold. im sure when i get back from this weekends opener things will pick back up on the island. i got worried because of the great buck activity i have been seeing in this spot with the cooler weather and pre rutting activity it almost seemed like the activity went sour all to quickly. you know how it is when things vary week to week or day to day you try and figure out WHY. But ill get back in it and hopefully things will pan out better within in the next week.

i was just asking in general... maybe it could have been an off couple of days maybe due to the full moon or the warm southerly winds....

i know the big boys will be behind the does, i just havnt been seeing the does for some reason... nor the bigger bucks i have been seeing

I have a question any input would be great. I am hunting a doe bedding area where the big ones no where to look for those available does and i was having great encounters with shooter bucks looking for Doe and chasing them in this spot. this past weekend all i had come in were smaller bucks which i elected to pass on and not one single Doe. i also have the same button buck that come in by himself feeding around and walks back off to bed up. is it a safe guess that the bigger bucks have pushed off into another area with the does and maybe locked down with them? Or maybe the bucks pushed the does off into a breeding area? i had a huge fresh scrape about 4ft around that has been hot for alittle over a week now. when i went in to hunt on Sat morn the scrape looked cold and un attended to for days. i sprayed some doe estrous in the scrape as i exited the woods and the next morning 12 hours later the scrape was completely tore up again. So i was under the impression that a big boy was still in my area i just maybe be hunting 150 yards away from where the action might be unfolding? Iam just hoping things will pick back up BUT in the same breath this warm southerly winds didnt help much! thanks

i lost a deer a few years ago (4 point), with the bow. I wasnt even going to take the deer but being we bought our house that year i was getting alot crap from the wife for being in the woods when there is things to be done. long story short i elected to take the 4 point after debating it and i put a lung liver shot on it. i thought it was more lung then anything but it wasnt... i let it lay for 45 min and there was GREAT blood. blood everywhere, after not finding it for 100 yards and finding his first bed i wanted to back out my dad elected to keep pushing and after 7 hours of looking and a blood trail that looked like he climbed a tree i lost him. i looked to see if he doubled back but the trail led into some thick swamp and rain was in the forcast for the next day... thats why if you read my posts about passing on deer due to no shot, this is why... its not worth it. id rather spend my time in my stand then pushing deer around looking for blood, disturbing the woods and never finding the deer.

Not many 1100s forsale i dont think. Its a sweet gun, i love it. 1187 is whats out now either are great guns. Goodluck

Before first light i had 3 deer around my stand for a bit. Hardly any light but i can make out horns. As light approched i saw it was a decent spike a button buck and the same 7 point i passed yesterday. The spike and 7 actually started sparing and decided to fight. It was very neat to watch from 10 yards away. Had a mature doe walk by also 20 min ago. Hope a shooter comes out!!!

It started out as a good morning with a smqll 7 pnt under my stand and a button then winds picked up BIG time and movement has been super slow. Maybe the full moon has something to do with it also

Me 2 lol

Just had a 7 under stand. Gave me every chqnce to tqke him. Not quite big enough.. And a button came through

Back at it again, goodluck guys!

back in the sattle for this weekend, all day sits Sat & Sun. hope the deer are moving. not much daytime activity at my stand this week according to the cam. all night movement. thats about to change tomorrow

i dont mind him, hes been through his share and enjoys the sport as much as the next guy. Given his situation he still makes it out to the deer woods and enjoys as much as he ever did. good for him

you realize that is without a doubt the dumbest thing i have ever heard?

i agree totally Joe... patience is key, many guys rush a shot on a calm deer when in reality being that the deer is calm he may give you the shot you are waiting for.

i have been fortunate enough to get out in the woods and put time in this year... i was simply stating that is how I am. i am not the type of guy to release an arrow IN HOPES of finding the deer. I get in the woods to make the best shot i can, dont get me wrong everyone goofs up but atleast i know i didnt take a marginal shot at the deer and prey i find him. this year started out REALLY slow! seeing NO deer until last weekend, i could have easily did what some said and just take a shot because of lack of time in the woods or just not seeing deer but i talk myself out of those shots and wait for that deer to present itself with a better shot. anyone letting arrows fly because of lack of time in the woods or having a slow season is no excuse. Watching the deer walk is sometimes the name of the game...

well put Bud!

nice deer congrats!

great buck