BackWoods Hunter

It's dry where I hunt. When I'm moving I don't have an issue with my feet being cold at all. It's only when I sit for the first few hours of the day or for the last few hours of the evening that my feet get cold. And even then, it's only in really cold weather like we had this morning.

When I search the site to see which boots you guys like, everyone is wearing rubber boots as opposed to a leather type of hiking boot. I wondered why that is and also if the guys who are still hunting also prefer that boot. I am in need of a new pair of boots that will keep my feet warm in temperatures that are in the tens and twenties. By searching the site, I already know most of you guys prefer either mock boots or lacrosse boots for the rubber type.

I wondered about shotgun slugs. Well, I'll pass on shooting through twigs then.

Figured as much. Just was hoping for a different answer. Thanks.

I hunt with a 270. Can I shoot through twigs with it.? Or do I have to have a perfectly clear shot? Twigs the size of a golf tee...

I was pretty comfortable in that thing this evening. My only complaint is that my butt kept sliding off. I was on a little bit of an incline where I was seated. The one thing that I was impressed with is how easy it was to carry. I strapped it around my waist and never thought about it again until I went to sit down. It didn't get in the way or anything.

I found that out yesterday and I was pretty disappointed. I was hoping to see what the wind was doing further away but of course the stuff just dissipates inside of about 15 feet.

I agree 100% with this. After thinking about this for awhile, I don't know that I would even turn in a neighbor. If I'm not turning in a neighbor, I'm definitely not turning in family. If I saw some guy on the road loading a doe in a buck only zone, I'd call DEC for sure. If I saw someone trespassing on a neighbors property, I call then too. It is strange and a bit of a double standard I guess. I guess if alerting the law didn't effect me personally, I'd do it. Otherwise, I turn the other cheek and don't associate myself with their unethical activities while secretly hoping they get busted some day. Maybe Jessie feels the same and that's why he posted. He doesn't want to be the one to rat them out. Maybe...

Great. Thanks for the posts. Sitting on the ground it is. The climber was really starting to make my hunting experience less enjoyable. I was starting to dred having to climb with that thing, maybe because of all the threads about people falling out of them. And Steve, I appreciate the tip. I'm going to pick one up today.

Do you guys use a stand or sit against a tree when you're hunting in the big woods? The older I get the more I dislike my climber and would rather not use it. At the same time though, I don't want to get busted. I figure if I'm off their trail and downwind, what's the point in using the thing other than to get me off the cold ground.

Is that real? Geez that thing is huge!

I'm pretty sure you're in the minority bubba.

I guess I was just trying to see where my best chances lie. No need to hunt afternoons. Hunt the mornings and evenings, and always stay downwind. Get out as often as possible and hope that buck stops by the scrape while you're there. Seems like that about sums it up.

pass the popcorn please

You can't pick who your family is. More importantly, people are who they are and you cannot change them. Turning them in will likely just cause you a lot of grief and they'll just continue doing what they do. The best bet , IMO, is to lead by example.

Wow. That is horrible and I hope it's not true. Being family though, you're in a real tuff spot. Obviously you can't do anything about it except not participate. It sounds like a family tradition and has been going on for a long time so don't expect to change their minds. The only thing you can do is remove yourself entirely from the hunts and discussions about the hunts. Take the high road. To each their own. Maybe if you lead by example, some of them will come around. In the meantime, be careful what you say and who you say it to. No one is a anonymous on these forums. People have ways of finding out who you are. Remember, family comes first.

That was interesting and confirmed what I was already thinking. They basically wander around eating and then lay down and go to sleep flow awhile, then repeat . They sleep and eat in a variety of places and at various times however almost exclusively at night. This aligns more with my experience. Pattern the deer? Maybe for the short time they're moving during the day and even then it won't be too reliable. Push them to be nocturnal? They already are. Lastly, shoot a buck? I would have to say this is going to require a ridiculous amount of time spent in the woods coupled with an equal amount of dumb luck. Am I wrong?

I have another suggestion. Is it possible to have the members location show up next to his name and picture on all posts?

Rather, when do the deer move? I am well aware that there is a ridiculous amount of info in this topic. However, I thought maybe under certain conditions I could get a more specific time table. The area I hunt is in the big woods, obviously, with no hunting pressure. These deer are in their natural conditions. All things being equal, meaning weather conditions this time of year being mostly dry with temps from the 20's to low 40's, how do they behave? Do deer sleep 8 hours in a row like us or do the sleep several times in a 24 hr period? Is their natural tendency to sleep at night or during the day? Lastly, is their any literature on this topic and for these conditions that is basically accepted by hunters here in the Adks? One of the reasons I ask is because everyone always says that hunting pressure makes the deer go nocturnal. That implies that they are normally not nocturnal however that is not my experience. Seems to me they move mostly at night, regardless of hunting pressure.

You know what they say, big scat, big rubs, big ... antlers? Found this today.

You guys are real downers . I went from hoping it was a moose, to a big buck, to now just a doe (that I can't shoot). Bummer.

I carried in a leftover blackened chicken sandwich today. I think it stunk worse than the doe urine. So much for scent free.

Lmao. Can't smoke out there so I chew gum, regular gum.

Maybe I have a moose on my property?

By the way, now it does apply! http://huntingny.com/forums/forum/69-big-woods-hunting/