dbHunterNY

must be a defect. i would think you'd get it replaced. this close to the season there wouldn't be time to repair it by replacing certain parts.

talking with DEC, they have put up the whole front that all their crap is sound and works perfect. however, they also had a list of stuff they really want to encourage. one thing they slipped in is that they would really wanted us co-op coordinators to push participation in the bowhunter sighting log. kind of funny why is was so important yet I don't feel they push it that much. based on the conversation it came across as the log really really helps but we push it under the radar so it seems like we don't need it. DEC already claims their thinly staffed and efforts are only put into what's necessary. said that multiple times to the point it was annoying. if they couldn't really use it they wouldn't have it. it's one very helpful item they bring to the table in the initial "stake holder/citizen task force meeting". I barely knew or bothered to request it before, but now knowing what I know I will definitely do it every year. for those who have done it and still are, you have my respect. giving DEC data as to really how many deer are around will only help. agendas make them seem not so smart. they're smart enough to take the info for what it is too.

i'm shocked there's been no mention of setup. everyone talks about how far they can hit a target. no talk about arrow weight, drag, bow cross section to catch wind, or broadhead choice. just because you can make the shot doesn't mean you'll get the penetration. also i can't imagine trying to with a sight without adjustable pin brightness and smaller diameter like .010" pins.

never had the best luck rattling around here. I've called in little guys but nothing spectacular. I feel it's more to do with such an out of whack buck to doe population back when I tried it more where I was.

I've used Hot Scrape kit by wildlife research with good results haven't used that one.

big woods public land I've had good luck with scent drags. urban or suburban public land hunting hardly ever call and don't use scents or anything. basically try to hunt without any trace. I've had a guys put out doe estrous every where all around while smoking like a chimney. they say all these people and houses around the deer don't know or care. smell things every day. I think that's a load of crap they know the difference. a mature deer the lived to see it all will chill in the backyard with people inside the house or just in the woods with someone in the back yard sure. as soon as those smells or people head toward the woods edge or into them the deer know. I've had hikers push over a dozen deer at one time right too me on multiple occasions. little trace of me in the woods so they are distracted with what's obviously out there versus me 15+ feet right over top of them.

if they're in a spot with a lot of traffic I hear some say to move them to a different spot that's more safer for the deer to cross.

don't use a pack.... whatever I can fit in my pockets.

most of the time I use the same type of disposable nitrile gloves I use to cut a deer up with. If you don't i've found you can use unscented wipes to get it off your arms but that fatty residue from the guts seems to come off your hands not as easily. I use a small pocket folder to gut the deer and just close it up and then pull the glove off over it and my hand to contain some of it. I gave up on those longer plastic like vet gloves. too slippery. not sure how you yank it all all out so easily.

you're right very few have enough land to make QDM really shine along. all areas I know are groups from a couple land owners to 80+. the smaller 2k+ acre groups that have been at it a while are usually the ones that have produced the fully mature bucks. while they do have antler restrictions they're beyond that and those restrictions alone will never get you into that age class. their hunters are more educated, can age bucks on the hoof with relative accuracy, and they've been exposed to the temptation of young bucks with good potential countless times already. when I say a buck was harvested at 5.5-7.5 it means each johnny in camp had history with the deer, took the deer, and then sent the incisors out to get aged with some other folks and deer in camp. half the cost per deer to have a group as a whole send the teeth out together. even on the QDM properties many deer hit the dirt at 4.5 years old. I understand the wanting proof. i'll be sure to gather up details and post GPS coordinates too.

I do take my own advice. it's a public forum and the topic is something I'm apart of. enjoy your swell time. there's many people using QDM on their own land and getting a group together of contiguous acreage. they're seen bucks probably reach their close to if not their full potential at 5.5-7.5 years old. Plenty of folks doing what they need to manage the deer where they are. it not an easy task but still definitely possible, even in NY.

you yourself has said multiple times CWD isn't a concern. So in your mind why would you even care if they didn't donate funding towards a CWD vaccine? Maybe you should stop sniffing and keep your nose out of others business. more importantly stick to the topic of QDM. if you want to talk about CWD I think you should do it in the thread that was started for it.

I won't talk about the wagon train. what you feel can't be right or wrong. how you feel about things is just exactly what it is. i'll just give you this information.... Back in May there was a QDMA meeting for all of NYS; membership was said to have grown the most in NYS compared to the whole nation and there was talks of trying to get a partially state funded advisor to help with QDM co-ops that seem to be becoming more and more prevalent here. DEC has scheduled a meeting with multiple parties (some probably "stake holders") to discuss the future buck management plans. Not members but those holding positions and employed by the QDMA have made it a point to get the invite and be present at the meeting. DEC has cancelled and push it out more than once I believe. I have it written down who will be there and when was the next tentative date for the meeting. just don't have it in front of me. Many true QDM co-ops have ties to the QDMA and which very much so voice opinion, give DEC harvest info, and work with them in general to manage deer in their area. We even had the head region 4 biologist at our pre-season co-op meeting. Surprised he even showed up. he even stayed for the whole thing and talked for a while which left a good impression in my mind. The QDMA went to DEC first, multiple times to try to get poaching fines and penalties increased. They were basically shrugged off and words fell on deaf ears. So they took things the political and legislative route. we've now got multiple sponsors and co-sponsors for the bill (A7171-2015). if everyone continues to push this by telling their state reps they support it, then there's no reason it won't get put on the floor and passed. brochures have been passed out and petitions are being filled. DEC and political circles very much hear from and see a presence by the QDMA here in NY. we aren't said to be a whitetail destination state yet all this effort and more is put into this state. that should bring about some happy thoughts in an individual with feelings similar to yours. no non-federal or non-state group can dictate what DEC does. examples like above is the only way. it's something that will never change and we have to live with them being a NYS entity with our Governor as a babysitter. Hope this gave you and others reading this more information to lighten the worry that QDMA does "nothing" for deer with regard to politics and the DEC. I also hope this backs the point that truly informed quality deer management efforts, not solely based on TV shows and trophy antlers, are growing in NY and most definitely are here to stay.

i know several kids that got free turkey hunting stuff and a successful hunt this past spring. a nice group of youth 4-H'ers got financial help with their banquet and a nice $700+ dollar gun safe to raffle off. at the fairs we handed out free tick pullers to tree huggers and other outdoor oriented folk. gave out some scholarships for kids schooling. spent some money on printing a crap ton of brochures to spread the word about legislation to increase poaching penalties. tons more for just this area. no wonder QDMA needs some money. What are they thinking? Maybe they should pay their staff and CEO a ton, buy bunch of TV network commercial time, club a baby whitetail fawn over the head, and call it an honest effort like most every other non-profit out there today.

no corn... all soy beans this year for some reason. thousands of acres worth of it in the area.

multiple doe groups will use the same bedding cover as they move within an overlapping home range. they just won't really use it at the same time obviously. your style might dictate your sightings. it is what it is though. no need to change it as long as you can otherwise get any idea of deer that are around.

with drop away rests it's really not as much of an issue. they all work. you got it as moog said. clean your jig after each use and you'll have no problems. also as moog said you're stuck with max 6 degree helical and three vanes using the mini. once you get out over 60 yards that much angle on the vanes gives it a parachute effect. otherwise it won't hurt at all to notice, speed included.

guts on the ground do not bother deer. I've had them walk right over gut piles like it wasn't even there. i gut them where they die. i and others should gut them elsewhere though. a gut pile only promotes presence of opportunistic predators like bear and coyote. not really a good thing encourage on your hunting grounds. maybe some should make it this years new years resolution.

if it's 100 acres of open fields and mature bare timber maybe not. maybe the neighbors shoot lots of four legged varmints. better in the long run to learn to assess your own situation where you're hunting. properties change hands and hunting on the same land can change.

I normally would be and was that way. I've found myself handing off my bows to friends and family to get or keep them into archery and bowhunting. I've found that means something that's common, cheaper, adjustable without additional purchases, and parts will always be out there if something were to go wrong. I've shot the best the bow world has to offer and some of the worst. there's a whole lot in between that a good shooter or hunter can use plenty well enough to get attention and the average joe can still get the job done. I wouldn't mind having a 60-70lb draw Perfexion though. problem is my wife knows I can buy a bargain bow off ebay, do anything needed to tune it myself at the shop at home, and then go out and win trophies or fill the freezer with it. if a $1000+ dollar bow showed up at the door step, she'd be asking questions. I'm afraid my high end, high performance bow shooting days are mostly over. that's not tooting my own horn either.... I'm telling you folks the struggle is real! haha it didn't used to be that way.

figure out how many adult doe are roughly on your property. how many doe are you seeing on a routine basis? get to know the neighbors and share what is taken and seen (numbers and info I mean). is there young trees and browse growing in the woods? how about ag fields in the area? you can conservatively harvest adult doe per area based on habitat quality too in your limited situation. the more info you gather and the more you talk to your neighbors the better. https://www.qdma.com/articles/how-many-does-can-i-harvest

seems like a cluster I wouldn't get into until the company stays a float and continuing innovations. Despite it's a bunch of aerospace engineers, strother is their bow designer. obsession archery used him as a consultant for bow design. why they both look like copies of one another. different bows but same source of ideas. their bows are probably great bows but it'd like to know a company will be around a while and not lose wind from their sales to fade away.

yea I picked up a couple boxes of that too. haven't tried it yet or gone through the 30-30 to get it ready to use this season.

all shed around me.

if you buy shafts from somewhere else or ebay and get them to cut them for free then some basic items help.... that's one of them. put a white piece of paper under it and put a fine dot on the paper. you can get or find a magnifying glass to better help see any wobble off the dot. before that, get a couple arrow prep tools; one to score the inside of the shaft and the squaring device by G5. for insert glue I've used Bob Smith Industries (BSI) pink bottle and some others with good results. Q-tips and a little acetone work well to clean the shafts. like I said before inserts first and then vanes.