Five Seasons

there's a war against the bowhunter. Let's try and control the doe population by impacting the smallest group of hunters. That math works right? Let's just be honest about this. All this does is increase poaching. I'm not afraid to say it and you that disagree are just afraid to admit it. More guys will be cutting up their own deer and not tagging at all. More hunters will put another county on their tag. We hunt in 7J (unaffected) and often bring our deer back home to (8F) less than hours drive to be cut up. Very few hunters have enough restraint to pass a pope and young on october 13th. I'm sorry and you won't change my mind on that.

that is total and other bs. I'll give you my personal example which I'm sure can be applied many times over to the rest of the state and 8F. There are maybe a dozen or so archers within a 1,000 acre area. Most of us drop a doe each during the season with one weapon or another. The area is crawling with doe, yet they're healthy and buck numbers are good. Even if the dozen or so of us all shot a doe the first week it wouldn't make a difference. The hunter numbers triple during gun season. Even with brown it's down neighbors, the doe numbers remain steady. asking archers to take more doe is not the issue and there just simply isn't enough bowhunters to do it. The biggest issue in our area? A big plant that doesn't allow hunting but has orchards and all sorts of sanctuary. How about this? Full inclusion for crossbow but the first 2 weeks are doe only for them?

This may be the worst blunder yet. It's not that bowhunters aren't shooting doe.. it's that we don't have access to the parks and private property where they're able to breed and feed without control. I hate this rule, and I wholeheartedly believe it's the first step in their plan to introduce muzzleloaders into the archery season. I have not disagreed with a lot of the DEC's decisions... I even understand their reasons behind the crossbow even if I disagree. I just don't understand this... so now I pass up an early season shooter over my food plot? the deer I worked so hard to pattern? So now I sit in the freezing cold dead of winter with my mz to shoot a doe? bad, bad, bad.

so you will fight up and down with us about the sunrise/sunset laws...but this one is ok to break?

i think the death of deer camps has more to do with society and culture. I see lots more camps for sale up in the Adirondacks even within the last few years. The economy doesn't support the second home. People require more time on the job and have less vacation, or they need a camp with amenities. I feel the days of ditching the family for a few weekends a year aren't a reality anymore. We get sh!t from our wife's that seem to get more attention than the husband/father of the 70's and 80's got. just my .02.

that's why there's also a beam length rule. It's just change and that's why it seems bad to you. It's worked well in MS for years.

Ouch brother. I've managed to burn only 1.5 of 4. Saving for deer and Santa.

What are you talking about? The effectiveness of the crossbow is our whole argument!

I prefer spread of beam length. It's not as easy but general rule in MS is to the ears and beyond. There will always be exceptions and freaks and weird racks but you can't create laws based on 5%.

I took 3 deer last year, all were small in size. A small NY doe and 2 southern deer. We still had a pretty full upright freezer in the garage. Last night I noticed I had 3 packs of steaks and 2 packs of ground left. With 2 more months to go and no guarantee of an early October harvest I am depressed... On the bright side, I unplugged the freezer and put the remaining in the kitchen... so I'll save some electric I guess.

the challenge is the same depending on your goals. You just pass the deer in search of the shooter buck. And you're still not worried about having an empty freezer because you can drop 2 or 3 dow during mz or early archery.

ha sorry, i quoted the wrong line. i was agreeing with you.

not trying to fuel the fire... but I shoot about 6 to 10 squirrels off my bird feeders every summer in my shorts and flip flops. sometimes they get cooked. Don't put it into a category it's not either.

it's all relative. Big woods in 8F can be 100 acres. But we have a cabin near Raquette and as others have mentioned, a few wrong turns and you're in trouble.

nothing has changed since last year. If you didn't do your research and plan to tag out by then; I'm not sure what you're complaining about. You spent the money knowing full well what the rules were. seriously... what are you 12? You keep posting that picture like you're the only one to ever shoot a deer in the heart. get off it.

no I didn't. We're not comparing apples to apples. You can't lump a poacher being attacked on social media in with an ethical hunter. The cheerleader's hate quickly died down and she was defended. This guy does not deserve our defense.

I'll disagree a little. I have no problem at all watching a deer walk. In fact, some of my best knowledge of deer has come from watching non-shooters do their thing. I enjoy watching the animals in their element just as much as I do eating them. Besides, the big racks just get my knees to shaking.

I'm with you on learning from mistakes, but I wouldn't advocate intentionally making them. You'll make enough unintentionally bow hunting that you should do your best to avoid the ones you can.

no the difference is that this lion was famous and protected and it was illegal. nobody likes to see dead lions, but he screwed up one way or the other and basically he shot Simba. Many lions are legally killed every year by average joe's like him. Why is this one famous? Because the lion is. No different than a high profile celebrity being killed vs a homeless guy. One is murder the former is an assassination.

I know where you're going on the "innocent until proven guilty" but nothing in this story looks like he's worth defending. Not to mention previous hunting violations it's pretty clear the guy was a d-bag. So I'll say it again. Stop defending him and do like I am and defend the good ethical hunters who are being lumped in to "all hunters are bad". All blacks aren't criminals is what the media tells us right? so stick that back in their face and accept that some hunters are bad. Just like some gun owners are irresponsible. We shouldn't defend these people. They just make the rest of us look bad and hurt our own hunting rights.

you and i are pretty much on the same page.

poor title by the OP http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/28426-this-is-not-going-to-go-over-well/

I've hunted out of hang ons for over 15 years. Last year I used a climber only on public land and holy cow was I bummed at first. First things first, you need to realize there are pros and cons to climbers and the biggest pro is flexability, the biggest con is noise and weight. I started with a cheap field and stream steel. It wasn't safe and it was heavy. I used a summit sd all last year and by the end of the season I had it down. Practice packing and unpacking. You'll soon get good at it, but at first it's a nightmare. I've got clever with straps and padding to help not make noise. The occasional clank even with their sound deadening tech is still inevitable. Realize that climbing the tree is best done slowly. Taking your time to limit sweat and noise is safer and you'll feel better going a little higher. Make sure you have a good headlamp. You can't climb or unpack with a flashlight in one hand. Practice on a tree in your yard or state land. When I pick out a tree for the first time to hunt I always try to hunt it in the evening first. I've picked out trees and missed potential issues that you just dont want to fuss with in the dark. Most importantly, buy one of these: http://www.huntersafetysystem.com/hss-reflective-lifeline/ it can be used with any harness. I don't loop the tree till I'm a couple climbs up, but it's just not worth messing around with your life.

oh don't we all know the feeling I'm with you on the land aspect, but chances are no matter how small your land, they will leave their beds for food. Is it ok to poke in a few times a year very quietly when the conditions are perfect? Sure, but I just don't advise hanging a stand in there. The approach alone will ruin it, and a lot of newer hunters will see the sign. their eyes will get big with excitement and they will over hunt it. Might I add too, that it's fun to debate hunting on this site instead of politics? Potential is the big word here, and i'm not trying to be a debby downer. The most ideal perfect land can be void of deer if your neighbors or previous hunters were pounding them. Good luck!

would pick my .22 over my 12 or a 20 if i had it, but with the right shot it gets the job done.