Daveboone

This would be more of a northern tier thing, but maybe not...The pulp /paper, logging industry isnt what it used to be and god only knows how many hundreds of thousands of acres of woodlands are no longer being cut /regrown, greatly changing the deer holding capacity in alot of forestlands. Hundreds ... minimally, of hunting camps that were on former paper or other private lands are now on less productive state forest lands. Just where my camp is, there was several hundred acres of former farm land, now gone to forest. I am sure it is unable to hold the same productivity as in former years.

Just like if you use a box of baking soda in your fridge, it helps absorb odors in the air but will not remove the source. If you have dog poop on your bibs, it will still be there. I launder my stuff at the end of the season with baking soda (if I am soiled with blood, etc. it is going to be no scent detergent...I like Arm and Hammer.). Before the season and after the hunt I hang them outside to air. Never enter the house/camp with my hunting clothes on...everything gets changed outside on the porch to hang. Use no odor soap and shampoo, unscented deoderant. I do dust with baking soda (a number of brands are sold for hunting deoderizing, but that is all it is) to the pits, groin and other sweaty/stinky parts. I dont know if it helps totally, but I am sure it doesnt hurt.

I dont know what the actual (reported) deer take is now vs fifty years ago...I started hunting over forty years ago, but the conditions were pretty much the same as Unit8r mentioned. Larger groups, more hunters, we did alot more drives that could be very productive if we werent seeing anything. Now there are fewer hunters but techniques are much more efficient. It would be interesting to know what percentage of hunters mainly use public lands vs back then. We used to hunt alot of public land, and there would be alot of hunters. Now there are few vehicles. Fewer guys moving deer around. I think private landowners restrict hunting more, but the hunters on the public land are more successful.

Probably not alot of help here...I am so absolutely particular in my firearm likes/dislikes, that until I found exactly to a T what I wanted I wouldnt get it. I recommend the same. Explain to your wife the importance of getting exactly the right firearm, and it might take some time and that you will, but cant rush it.

I would ask for more specifics...how big, what prep etc. You can dump alot orf money in seed, but if the soil isnt prepped properly it goes to waste. Do you do well as you are? If so, politely mention that you dont have much to benefit.

On a number of occasions, including several this year, I passed on easy shots at deer simply because I didn't feel like it. Earlier this year I had a gimme shot on a nice fat four point. We love our venison and would greatly miss it if we didnt have it. The buck looked like he was enjoying his day, I was enjoying mine. No reason to rock the boat. Every deer I take I feel sad for. To me they are one of the most beautiful parts of my life to see. Probably as time goes on I have had more ...sadness with each one taking, but I can accept it for the place in life it is. I just make sure my shots are clean and I dont take more than what we need. Its ok to feel sad about it. When I no longer feel sad about it I hope I stop hunting. Its whats known as valuing life.

Tonight is northern zone deer season closing, which functionally ends my deer hunting year. I cant complain too much. I took a nice big doe with my Thompson Triumph inline during the ML season in October, and had a doe tag for my area as well of course my buck tag. After tagging my doe I didn't spend too much time hunting due to not wanting to ruin my week off the 9 days after Thanksgiving, and not having a tag to use.. I keep a very close tab on my local area, and am very in tune with the deer population. It being true tug hill forest hunting, the deer population isn't what you might find in more agricultural areas. I would be happy to take one doe and a buck, but would pass on a 2nd doe in hopes of having three more deer around come next fall as opposed to one less. Early in the rifle season I passed on a nice big bodied four point. He looked to be enjoying his day, as I was, so I kept us both happy. I got quite disgruntled by finding dumped deer carcasses nearby, right along the seasonal road going into my area. All shot obviously by the same hunters...skinned and quartered on a gambrel, hide pulled down but left on the carcass, they left the neck roast each time, and whatever they shot them with all had non pass through shots to the front r quarter. If I made my guess, all were shot as they came from the same direction to a bait pile, but we are getting a bit more forensic than needed ... all the deer (four) were small ...first year fawns, except for a small six point buck , likely 18 mo. old. They didnt even take his horns...nothing much, but I think of it as an insult to the buck. A particular camp under relatively new ownership nearby on the main road had a lot more cars there all season long, and the freshest carcass appeared the evening before they left...and in conversation, a couple members had made it known they didn't mind taking a few extra. My first thought was to dump the carcasses in their front yard, but as my camp is the only other one in use in this time frame, it would be easy to draw suspicion.... I had multiple opportunities at does through this past week, put passed....my game camera was actually showing a lot more deer than earlier in the season, which isn't unexpected once snow falls. Deer move down through our area with the snow off the Tug, into the nearby Lake Ontario plains area. If it wasn't for the extra deer being shot off by my good neighbors, I would/could have taken one on my permit. The most frustrating part of hunting like I did this year was that as planned and hoped for, I had snow this week. With snow, I can and will sit almost every day and wander in between if no one else is around. By the end of the week with the season closing, I feel like I am barely just starting. Thursday afternoon I was on my normal evening stand when I heard two shots approx. 1/2 mile or so away. About 15 minutes later I saw two big does striding through the swamp below me about 75 yards away. I put the scope on them just for a better look. Two fine big does. Five minutes later another deer appears on the same trail. Buck. BIG buck. HIs main beam on my side is heavy, and sweeps low like a bulls out to his nose. One BIG northcountry buck, that had never been seen on my cameras. The scope is on him, but no way am I risking a shot through all that crap, especially with dark coming on soon. I watch him as he slows down and moves into a bunch of windfalls at the limit of my vision, but I dont see him again. Heavy sigh. So I saw plenty of deer with plenty of opportunities including a passed on buck (the four pointer). I dont count the big buck as a passed shot, as no clear shot presented itself, but I am mighty pleased to have seen him, I have meat in the freezer (and a little from last year) so I am in good shape for venison. Traffic isnt heavy up there, and I am of a mind that if that big ass buck made it this far, he will probably make it through this season, and likely be around for next year. TIme to start planning next year.....I will be up at the camp next week end checking the trails and cameras.

I try to be in while it is just barely starting to lighten up....if overcast usually about 45 minutes before sunup. My thinking is to allow time for the woods to settle down after my disturbance, and that even if I do spook deer going in they are less likely to actually see me and place me. For me it is very exciting to see the woods change as they start to lighten up and change with the new day.

I am willing to bet cash that the same hunters who dont have any ammo this year wont have any next year, and wont start looking until the week before hunting season.

Although I personally havent hunted the FL region this year, I used to spend every season week end on the west side of Seneca Lake. This year two good friends have hunted every week end. Where we used to see multiple deer every day and usually fill a couple tags, this year they saw one deer to shoot at, as of this a.m. that is it. Changes in ownership and use over the years have made a great impact, and they no longer can wander over the 500 or so acres like we used to, limited to a very small patch. They report few hunters in the area, surprisingly enough. At the same time, I also think the local vineyards are shooting off deer (as they are legally allowed to do with permits).

hunt the wind. pin burlap over the sides you dont want to be distracted by. I always though I was better concentrating on themost likely direction, rather than try to watch 360 degrees and increase my movement.

I was running into the same problem for space a number of years ago, and I have to say I took a drastically different solution. As many of us do, I had accumulated alot of firearms, many of which, no, that is incorrect...most of which hadnt been shot in years. I no longer did much or any small game hunting, so I really didnt need 7 different shotguns. Several guns I held on to, but had no use for and no conceivable plan to shoot them, and they had no sentimental value to me. I wanted to go on a moose hunt...Ultimately I sold about a dozen or so to pay to go on two different moose hunts over several years. I dont miss the ones I sold at all, but boy do I have memories of the hunts! I still have way more than I will ever shoot or can store practically and safely. I intend to upgrade a couple of my favorites (new finishes, etc) and fund one or two custom projects that I have long wanted, so I am kind of building down. Even though I still have something like two dozen long guns, really only one is used for deer hunting with one for back up, and a muzzle loader. Keep the pump 12 gauge with two bbls, and the twenty side by side and a .22, I probably wont miss anything else.

Funny enough, my super finicky sister loves pickled heart. I try to hold them out until (or if) I am able to do two . When I was in Newfoundland moose hunting, I reeally wanted the heart...which weighed probably four lbs! It got lost in the pile of meat, probably at the butcher...probably the first time they ever saw one!

Unfortunately I smithereened the heart from my doe. Bumming.

Simple quick google search ...using two different search engines and three different sources.... Life expectancy at birth for year 2020. Canada ranks 21st...give or take a couple Germany ranks 34 USA ranks 43...give or take.

I havent hunted as much this year as past years by now because I was lucky enough to take a nice big ML doe, but as of tonight I am at the camp for most of the next 9 days getting serious.... This year though, I have certainly seen more hunters in the woods, most from out of the local area ( I know my neighbors). I think between that and the warmer temps, the deer are hunkering down more. My game cameras are certainly showing plenty of deer up through this week.

Working in health care myself, I have had quite a bit of opportunity to talk with Germans about their system and Canadians about ours. No system is perfect, but especially the German model was created new from scratch post WW2, as was their entire economy and political system. it works, people like it. The Canadian system is a blend of the old (ours) and new, and is also a great improvement. The standard flat tax rate on all goods and services pays for it ,and no one goes without any thing, and you are free to have your own private insurance and go to private providers if you choose. Chronic care meds (ex.....insulin, DM care supplies, which cost us about 6500. a year) are absolutely free. The problem with our system is it dates back as old as our free enterprise system. It is like Microsoft ....patch job on patch job on patch job.

. Members 286 288 posts LocationBallston Spa Report post Posted 9 hours ago (edited) I do. I finished reading “Promise Me Dad” and it made me like and respect him that much more. I’m just now reading another book about him “The Book of Joe” by Jeff Wilser, and again, I like him more the more I learn about his life and career. I’m not looking to change your mind, since I’m assuming you don’t like him, but saying “No one likes Biden” is an inaccurate generalization. Edited 9 hours ago by Splitear As do I. At least I can respect him. All I ask is for him to reunify our nation. WE were always great, (maga was Trumps first and greatest lie), but our greatness is in our unity. E Pluribus Unum.

Very True! Just like deer, there are alot more small ones than big ones, and if you arent used to looking at them all bears look big in the woods. It took me a few years to get used to looking at them before I got my 305 lber. Just as difficult is judging their hides to be sure they arent rubbed. If they look pale or whiteish, they are rubbed. It is unmistakeble if compared to a good glossy black hide.

Recommendation...lots of good outfitters out there, but before committing get references....as many as you can....and call them for their experiences, both successful and unsuccessful hunters. Sightings, how many baits maintained, how were the meals, who gets you to the site and back, etc. I have never hunted Maine but been just over the border in New Brunswick a lot. Great folks up there and the border crossing is a breeze (assuming no COVID or legal problems on your end). I would love to go back every year, but just don't have room for the bears! Dont sweat the gun you use...black bears arent hard to kill, just hit em the same as you would a deer. Ranges are normally close (< 50 yards). I am partial to my 45-70 but the good old 30-30 is a very common bear round.

DEC has same powers as NY state troopers...but "suspicion" to them is probably very different than "suspicion" with a trooper.

When I bowhunted last....almost thirty years ago....you could absolutely get three bucks. (one bow, buck and rifle. At that time I in person clarified with a DEC officer, as the tags for bow and ML both listed either weapon....that you could legally use both tags for ML OR bow ! Probably one of the reason the regulations were changed. I never did. At that time DMP for a while were also buck or doe in a bunch of areas. I have no doubt that you are correct about current regulations. I havent had any reason to be concerned with the technicalities for multiple bucks in many years.

One guy couldnt legally shoot that many deer in NY anyway. One buck for regular season rifle, one for bow and one for ML...but all different time frames. It would be telling if they were all shot in the face... Of course it is legal to transport someone elses deer, but it better be tagged and you need to have written note for transport (I think that is what you need....never had to worry about it...)

We had a rule not to leave our stands until 9:30. About nine the locals left thier stands and moved them through us...BUT ya never know, and we shot plenty right after sunup.

But you found it! Good for you. One of the reasons I prefer to hunt in the snow....but doesnt look like I am going to have any next week.