HuntingNY-News

He shot it in Pompey. "It was a great Thanksgiving!" he said. Submitted photo Rick Foley, of Phoenix, shot this 10-point buck on Thanksgiving morning in Pompey. He shot it with his 12-gauge shotgun from his treestand, which was 20-feet high. "He came right in on my scent trail and I shot him from about 30 yards," Foley said. He said he was not late to family's Thanksgiving dinner that day. He took the deer at about 9 a.m. "My dad came out to check the deer," he said. "It was a great Thanksgiving." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

During archery season when I harvested a nice buck he immediately started walking behind me as I followed the blood trail...." Submitted photo Dennis Money, of Canandaigua, sent in this picture and the following story: "This beautiful but rather obnoxious grouse/partridge has been a pain this fall. once you get into his 'hood' he will then fly up to the tree stand you are in and start pecking you! "On opening day for deer last week he landed on my shotgun and wouldnt get off it! I call him Pierre III as it rhymes with partridge and I believe this is the 3rd partridge in the last 7 years to have this type of personality. I am not sure what the lifetime of a grouse is but I rather doubt they make it beyond 2-3 years. "During archery season when I harvested a nice buck he immediately started walking behind me as I followed the blood trail and then when other hunters came by to help, he paid them no heed and continued to walk around us as the buck was dressed. "On the positive side he gives me great photo opps and video, something that is uncommon for this little bombshell of a wild bird. I guess I am a luck guy but he does have an attitude and I need to be careful as his beak is powerful!" View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

You snooze you lose. That’s the lesson Anthony Suslik’s son learned last Sunday after his dad took a big buck in Niles. Suslik and his son, Anthony Jr., were out on Saturday last weekend and the son got a doe. “We butchered it up and didn’t finish until about 10:30 p.m.,” the father said. The following morning the two... Anthony Suslik and his big buck that he shot from his son's treestand. David Figura, The Post-Standard You snooze you lose. That’s the lesson Anthony Suslik’s son learned last Sunday after his dad took a big buck in Niles. Suslik and his son, Anthony Jr., were out on Saturday last weekend and the son got a doe. “We butchered it up and didn’t finish until about 10:30 p.m.,” the father said. The following morning the two were scheduled to begin hunting again at 5:30 a.m. However, when the morning came the son decided to sleep in. Suslik, of Niles, said he initially went to his treestand, which is about 700 yards away from his son’s. This is the first year that rifles are allowed for hunting deer in Cauyuga County. At about 7 a.m., Suslik said he looked through the scope of his 25-caliber, Ruger rifle and spotted a big buck and a doe about 800 yards away from his treestand – and about 300 yards from his son’s. “I decided to get down and sneak through the woods and got up in my son’s treestand,” he said. “The buck and the doe were still in the field. I ranged the buck at 365 yards away.” Suslik noted he and his son are experience riflemen. “Both of us can shoot ¾-inch groups at 400 yards,” he said. Suslik said he eyed the buck through his scope, aiming about two inches above its back. “I shot and it fell in its tracks,” he said. When he came up to the deer, he was amazed at its impressive rack. “It green scored at 155 6/8 inches. The G2 tines were 12 inches, the G3s were 9 ¾ inches. It was 5 3/4 inches thick at the base. It’s crazy how thick that rack was,” he said. The deer weighed 175 pounds after being field dressed. Greg Walters, of Greg’s Archery in Moravia scored the antlers. “It’s a pretty impressive buck for our area,” he said. Suslik said he called up his younger son, Nick, to help him load it into his ATV. At about 1 p.m. that day, he drove over to his other son’s house to show him what he missed by not getting up to hunt that morning. “I told him the story and he said ‘I should have got my lazy (butt) up,’ “ the father said. “He was still happy for me.” View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Late fall is the best time to go fishing – for everything." Professional fishing guide Justin Winkle, center, with Chris, left, and Joe, right, Zogby on the Salmon River in Pineville. Dick Blume/The Post-Standard Sure, it’s hunting season. But don’t put your fishing rod away just yet. Thanks to a stretch of warm, sunny days, the late fall fishing season in Central New York continues to be hot. This time of year fish are aggressively feeding in preparation for the winter. “Late fall is the best time to go fishing – for everything,” said Charlie Coleman, of Bearwood Bait and Tackle in Mottville. The following is a wrapup of the fishing opportunities that anglers have been tapping into the past week. Steelhead and big browns Despite low water levels, the Salmon and Oswego rivers tops the list of places to check out if steelhead and big brown trout are your preference. “The fishing is right where it’s supposed to be for this time of year. There’s lots of fish in the river,” said Kevin Foster, a guide with Salmon River Outfitters. “The upper and lower fly stretches are doing well. Down below the bridge in the Lower Fly Fishing area anglers are using natural egg sacks under a float with trout beads. The (artificial) pink worms are also doing working.” Dave Paro, a guide with Dave’s Executive Guide Service, said there’s currently “a lot of brown trout” in the Oswego River. Joe Brown, from Poughkeepsie, wets his line on the Salmon River in Pineville. Dick Blume/The Post-Standard “There’s a mix of rainbows and steelhead in there, too,” he said, adding the most successful anglers are using trout beads and regular egg sacks. “Mother Nature has been kind. Even with the warm fall and the low conditions, the salmon run didn’t seem that affected this year,” he said. “It was actually one of the best years in 20 to 25 years that I’ve seen.” If you go to the Oswego River, Paro cautioned, make sure to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket if you wade out into the water. If you don’t have one, the Oswego Fire Department is providing loaners. Walleye/perch fishing By all accounts, the late evening shoreline fishing scene on Oneida Lake for walleye was a disappointment this fall, due to the large numbers of gizzard shad and other baitfish that kept the fish fed and elusive. “There still are a bunch of guys eking out a few walleyes,” said James Daher of Mickey’s Bait and Tackle in North Syracuse. “A good spot is underneath the Route 81 bridge in Brewerton and up the river at the Caudenoy Dam.” Meanwhile, the Oneida Lake perch fishing has been on fire lately. “Especially on the east end on the lake You need a boat. You can launch at the state launch there,” Daher said. He said the perch are schooling, but anglers have to search a little to find them. “They’re getting around the deep drop-offs from a point or a shoal in about 20-plus feet,” he said. “They’re big and their hungry.” Bass fishing The regular bass fishing season continues until Nov. 30 and bass anglers are taking advantage of the warm weather. “There’s still tournaments going on Oneida Lake. I fished one last weekend,” said Dereck Bigford, of Cicero on Wednesday. “The winners turned in five fish weighing 21.69 pounds – all smallmouth. The biggest one was about 5.3 pounds.” “In regard to absolute numbers and sure size of fish, the fall is really hard to beat,” said Mike Cusano, of Clay. Cusano said he fished a tournament on the Mohawk River a couple of weeks ago, and planned to fish the Oneida River and Onondaga Lake during Thanksgiving weekend. “You have to put in a little work to find the fish. But once you find them, you can catch a pile of them,” he said. Dan Morgan, of Cazenovia, with a nice fall brown he caught on Chittenango Creek. Courtesy of Dan Morgan Stream trout fishing The regular trout season in Central New York closed Oct. 15. However, there are three, local, year-round streams currently open for fishing – Chittenango, Limestone and Butternut creeks. “In the fall, the fish are starting to spawn and want to put on some winter weight. “With the water getting colder, the fish get more aggressive,” said Eric Stanczyk, of Baldwinsville. Most of the tributaries on Skaneateles, Owasco and Otisco lakes are open for trout fishing until Dec. 31. In addition, West Canada Creek, which offers a catch and release “trophy section” in Poland, is open for angling until Nov. 30. Another section of that waterway is open year-round for catch-and release fishing. For those willing to drive, the West Branch of the Delaware River is open for catch- and -release fishing now and through the winter. If you open the DEC fishing regulations book, you can find some other nearby streams that are open this time of year,” Stanczyk said. Skaneateles rainbows As the weather cools, the shoreline fishing for rainbow trout and landlocked salmon on Skaneateles Lake picks up. Popular spots include Lourdes Camp and downtown in the village in the park next to the Skaneateles Episcopal Church – along with various other spots up and down the lake. The most productive technique is the worm/marshmallow rig. The rig basically consists of a bell sinker or some other weight at the end of the line. Anglers then put a leader off the main line, and attach a hook with a night crawler and a marshmallow on it. The marshmallow floats and keeps the worm and hook off the bottom – making it an appetizing treat for a hungry rainbow or landlocked salmon cruising by. Kevin Bohemier, of Baldwinsville, holds up an impressive, 25-plus inch rainbow trout he recently caught from shore at Lourdes Camp on Skaneateles Lake. Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"No program or action in relating to mythical animals is warranted," said one DEC wildlife biologist in response to a question from the director of an upcoming expo dedicated to 'Big Foot' this spring. Does Big Foot, or “Sasquatch” as it’s commonly called, walk the woods in this state? More importantly, if such an animal existed, could you hunt it? That question was posed recently to state Department of Environmental Conservation officials by Peter Wiemer, director of the Chautauqua Lake Big Foot Expo, set for Aug. 26-27. Wiemer this week shared emails sent to him by Mark Kandel, regional wildlife manager for the DEC’s Region 9 and Gordon Batcheller, the DEC’s chief wildlife biologist, on the issue. “As discussed on the phone, the DEC does not recognize the occurrence of Big Foot in this state, therefore it is not addressed directly in our hunting regulations. Because it is not addressed there is no open season on Big Foot and they may not be taken,” Kandel wrote. Batcheller responded: “The simple truth of the matter is that there is no such animal anywhere in the world. I am sorry to disappoint you. However, no program or action in relating to mythical animals is warranted.” For more on the Big Foot expo, see the event’s website View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/opinion/sunday/death-in-the-forest.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/11/25/sunday-review/25HUNTING/25HUNTING-thumbStandard.jpg" border="0" height="75" width="75" hspace="4" align="left"></a>The story of a grandfather and a grizzly monster of a buck. View the full article

What are anglers experiencing or seeing this fall on the lake's tributaries? Several local anglers used to fishing many of Cayuga Lake’s tributaries this time of have been reporting lately that they’re not seeing much in the way of spawning trout or landlocked salmon. “I spoke to our wildlife guys and they told me that there has been very little to no information available on Cayuga Lake tributary fishing recently from our regular sources,” said DEC spokeswoman Lisa King. “ Further, we have not had a large flow event that would typically draw significant numbers of fish into the tributaries during the fall. Stream flows do continue to be low for this time of year.” What's everyone else seeing out there? Either a put a note at the bottom on this blog entry or send me an email at [email protected]. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

"Me and my dad were in the woods screaming and hollering," the girl said. "You probably could have heard us a couple miles away." A proud Trista Kuhn with her 7-point buck. Submitted photo </p> Trista Kuhn was out hunting with her father, Greg, in the town of Camillus last Saturday and said she decided to pass on a “decent-sized buck” and two doe. “We wanted a bigger buck,” the 15-year-old Camillus girl said. Sunday morning, a bigger buck stepped out from some goldenrod into view. “He came out of nowhere,” she said. “He stood there for a good 15 minutes looking in our direction.” The buck then quickly turned and started to head back in the weeds. Kuhn said it was then that she pulled the trigger on her Browning 12-gauge shotgun. “He probably went a total of 10 feet and dropped right there,” she said. “My dad couldn’t believe it. He didn’t have to track him. It was my first deer ever.” She said she and her dad started celebrating. “Me and my dad were in the woods screaming and hollering,” Kuhn said. “You probably could have heard us a couple miles away. This was a huge accomplishment for me, and I am so proud of myself. I showed up all the guys and it feels great.” Kuhn’s buck was a seven-pointer. She said its antler spread was about 18 inches, with 6-inch brow tines. The left beam of the antlers was missing. “It probably broke off when he was fighting (with another buck),” she said. “He would have been an 8.” John Carroll and his deer that he got with his bow. Submitted photo Homemade bow Bowhunter John R. Carroll, of LaFayette, likes to do things the old-fashioned way. He sent in a picture this week of a 3-point buck he shot “at 12 paces” on Oct. 28 with his homemade bow. “I made this hickory self bow by cutting the tree on my property and then shaping and tillering (it),” he said. “I have shot three deer with it so far.” A self bow is a bow made from a single piece of wood. “The bow is 45 pounds at my draw length and is quite a challenge to get a deer close enough to shoot,” he added. Carroll said he got the 3-pointer “a day before Hurricane Sandy.” “I know it’s not a big buck, but for me it is a joy just to harvest a deer with (a bow I made myself),” he said. He said the picture he sent was taken in his barn “because Hurricane Sandy was blowing outside” at the time. Tales from the woods Have an eye-opening, lesson-learning or downright funny hunting tale? Send it to [email protected]. Pictures would help. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

This slideshow shows 18 deer that were taken, ranging from a spike horn to a 13-pointer. All are trophies! Hunters of all ages and both sexes cashed in on opening weekend of the firearms season for deer in the Southern Zone. This slideshow shows 18 deer that were taken, ranging from a spike horn to a 13-pointer. All are trophies. Congrats and thanks for sharing! View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Approach it from the side and touch an eye. That’s 100 percent. Nick Lisi/The Post-Standard My brother-in-law, Ace Fitzgerald, told me that he and his buddies got 14 deer on opening day. Ace, an employee with the state Department of Transportation, was talking about how many deer were picked up off state roads in the greater Binghamton area that day. Evidently, the rut was still going strong on opening weekend and the deer were moving all over as part of their breeding behavior. One thing he noted that I’d never heard before — and it behooves hunters or anyone else dealing with supposedly dead deer to consider: How do you know for sure when one is dead? “If you find what you think is a dead deer and its eyes are closed, it’s not dead,” Ace said. He said he and his co-workers in recent weeks picked up two deer in separate instances that had closed eyes and showed all the signs of being dead. The carcasses were loaded into a truck and taken to a place to be landfilled. Upon arriving, the deer in both instances stirred and lifted their heads in the truck. Ace said one of the deer was just left in the truck and allowed to die before it was removed. In the other case, the animal was more active and a state trooper was called to put it down with a special rubber bullet fired at close range, he said. Is my brother-in-law right? In addition, how can a hunter know that a deer he or she has just shot has expired? Veteran deer hunter Wayne Masters, of Tully, said most hunters carefully approach a downed deer from behind, taking care to stay clear of the animal’s hooves and antlers. Both could cause serious damage should the animal suddenly stir and attack. “Most hunters I know take their gun barrel and touch an eye,” he said. “If it’s still alive and you do that, you’ll get a reaction out of it. Otherwise, it’s dead.” Mike Hall, a retired DEC wildlife biologist and longtime deer hunter, agreed with Masters about touching the eye with the tip of a gun barrel or a stick. He said he’s heard several tales over the years of novice hunters taking deer home without field dressing them, intending to do it later, only to find out when they got home that the animal was still alive. “I remember one guy put a deer in the trunk and when he got to where he was going and opened the trunk, the deer was flopping all around,” he said. “The guy grabbed his .22 handgun and finished it off with a shot to the head, forgetting about the car’s gas tank. Fortunately, he didn’t hit it (the tank).” So what about my brother-in-law’s “closed eyes” rule? Hall said it’s not a certainty. “Approach from the side and touch an eye. That’s 100 percent,” he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Here's what's on tap for this week in the Outdoors pages of The Post-Standard. Friday: Main piece: Two interesting 'Tales from the Woods' ... I write about a 15-girl who got her first deer (a 7-point buck) and a guy who got his using a home-made bow he fashioned from a hickory tree on his property. Column: How can... Dan Morgan, of Cazenovia, holds a nice fall brown trout he caught in Chittenango Creek. Dan Morgan photo Here's what's on tap for this week in the Outdoors pages of The Post-Standard. Friday: Main piece: Two interesting 'Tales from the Woods' ... I write about a 15-girl who got her first deer (a 7-point buck) and a guy who got his using a home-made bow he fashioned from a hickory tree on his property. Column: How can you tell a deer is dead (if its road kill or after you shoot it while hunting)? SUNDAY: Main piece: I write about the wide variety of late fall fishing opportunities that anglers can still tap into. Column: I write about a guy who got massive buck with a 325-yard shot in Cayuga County; the DEC's position on Big Foot (I'm not making this up),,, and more. In coming weeks, I'd like to write about the following outdoors activities. If you know someone who does these activities, contact me ASAP: -- Anyone who has arrowed or shot a wild boar this hunting season. -- Someone who's willing to talk about the history and current situation concerning the floating duck blinds at the end of Cayuga Lake that are put out every year. - Anyone who would make a good candidate for The Post-Standard's Heroes of Conservation Award. Questions? See the previous story I wrote about this. ANYTHING ELSE READERS OF THIS REPORT WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE ABOUT? The effectiveness of this report is two-fold. First it lets readers know what's coming up story-wise. It also allows readers a chance to affect coverage and provide sources for upcoming stories. Bottom line: Keep in touch and give input. You could make a difference as to what appears week to week on the outdoors page! Email me at [email protected] or call 470-6066. If you want to join The Post-Standard's Outdoors Group and get this emailed directly to you, subscribe here.. FIGURA ON FACEBOOK: For those who are on Facebook, I also have a PS Outdoors page, which I check several times daily for feedback and story ideas. I also post personal fishing and hunting and other outdoors-related photos from time to time and I ask members to do the same. When you join, please be sure and hit the "like" button. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It was her first deer. Submitted photo Trista Kuhn, 15, of Camillus, proudly poses with her 7-point buck she shot Nov. 18 while hunting with her dad, Greg, in Camillus. She said the left beam of the antlers was missing. "It probably broke off when he was fighting (with another buck)," she said. "It would have been an 8-pointer." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

After hunting 11 years with no deer, she harvested an 8-pointer on opening day this year in Cazenovia. Submitted photo Nancy Canavan, of Syracuse, poses happily with her 8-point buck: She wrote: "In 2001, well into my 50's, I obtained my hunting license. Never having any hunting background, it was a totally new experience for me. On my very first day of my very first deer hunt , I harvested a 3 point buck. The weather was beautiful, a crisp fall day. I thought, "Gee, this isn't so hard!" "I soon learned to regret that thought. I went deer hunting every year, both northern and southern zone, muzzle loading and shotgun, in rain, sunshine and snow, without harvesting another deer. Most years, I didn't even fire a shot. You could say I was either persistant or stubborn. "Then, after 11 years of putting in my time, it finally paid off! This past Sunday, November 18th, I harvested an 8-point buck in the town of Cazenovia. While the spread of the antlers was not spectactular at 15 inches, the weight was. The dressed weight by a non-certified scale was 163 lbs. The two gentlemen I hunted with were very reluctant to drag him out of the woods. Instead, they opted for using the tractor! "The moral of my story = Don't Give Up!" View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The father got a 10-point; the daughter harvested an 8-point. Submitted photos Sue Bookhout and her dad, Leighton Bookhout, had a very successful opening weekend deer hunting. "I got a real nice 8 point on opening day. I couldn't have been happier!," Sue wrote. "That was until the next day when my Dad, Leighton Bookhout, got an awesome 10 point buck. It's a real beauty with a wide, symmetrical rack. Both were taken in Madison County. Good times and great memories." Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He shot it in Clay. Submitted photo Leonard Bettinger,of Brewerton, poses with a 13point buck he shot in the town of Clay on Nov.18. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The deer weighed 210 pounds. Submitted photo Christopher Madlin, 14, of Cicero, poses with his 11-point buck he shot in Homer with his 30-06 Savage Stevens rifle. The deer weighed 210 pounds, his father said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The antlers had a green score of 155 6/8 inches, he said. Submitted photo A happy Tony Suslik poses with his 9-point buck he shot Sunday in Cayuga County. Cayuga County is now a rifle county and Suslik undoubtedly used one to take this deer. He said it was a 325-yard shot. The antlers had a green score of 155 6/8 inches, he said. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He also got a picture of it on his trail camera a week before. Submitted photo Brett Hurd, of Lakeland, poses with his 12-point buck he shot Nov. 18 in the town of Fenner. The deer dressed out at 185 pounds. He shot it with his Remington 870, 12-gauge. In a photo below he poses with his father, Jeff Hurd. Also, he sent in a trail camera of the buck, which was taken Nov. 11. Submitted photo Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

Despite several faulty provisions, the Obama administration is endorsing a bill to increase access to public lands for hunting and fishing. View the full article

Next time you shut the alarm off and hear the rain hitting the roof, get up and go. You might be glad you did. The following story was submitted by Don Therre, of Syracuse: As I shut off the alarm I could hear the rain hitting the roof and my first thought was this stinks. It was Thanksgiving morning 2007 and I had planned to go to my favorite hunting spot for the morning. Let’s face it; nobody wants to hunt in the rain if it was our choice. Unfortunately we don’t have much control over it. I decided if it was pouring rain I’d go back to bed. Fortunately, it was more like a steady you’re going to get wet but tolerable rain, so I got ready to go. I also remembered my father said he had harvested deer several times when it was raining. I climbed into my stand at daylight still wondering whether I had made the right decision. The first few hours passed without even seeing a bird as the rain continued. My cut off was 10:30 if I didn’t see anything. I was getting ready to check my watch again when out of the thick brush about thirty yards away I spotted a deer trotting right towards me. He had a good rack and I had little time to get ready. He turned a little and gave me a perfect broadside shot for my slug gun at fifteen yards. The whole sequence was over in about thirty seconds and I had the best buck I had ever taken. It was a nearly perfectly symmetrical eight-point. I looked at my watch – it was 10:15. After a four hour drag I reached the car, tired, wet, but happy that I had gone. I was also glad I would make it home for dinner on time. I’ve read other stories in hunting magazines of big bucks being taken in the rain. Another great time to be hunting is after a heavy rain stops. Next time you shut the alarm off and hear the rain hitting the roof, get up and go. You might be glad you did. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

We had a neighbor lose a dog to coyotes a few years ago and the owner of the land I hunt has told me if you get a shot at a coyote please take it. Submitted photo Ron Reeve, of Marcellus, sent in this picture and the following story:. "I was encouraged by neighbors to tell this story when it happened, but I've had many unique stories connected with hunting over the past 45 years and those were with animals that lived. I don't relish talking about taking game. "We had a neighbor lose a dog to coyotes a few years ago and the owner of the land I hunt has told me if you get a shot at a coyote please take it. "It was either October 30th, 2009 or October 29th, 1010. " It was an extremely foggy morning as I made my way into my tree stand to hunt deer about 6:45 a.m. The wet conditions from the fog made the walk quiet and there was almost no wind. I alternately sat and stood quietly until 8:00 a.m. I had been sitting about 10 minutes when I saw 3 animals moving toward me on the edge of a swamp I was hunting. "I quickly realized the 3 animals were coyotes. There were 2 smaller ones on the wings about 10 to 15 yards in front of a larger one. They were spread out about 30 yards from wing to wing and zigzagging to my left. I thought the one on the left flank might come down the run I was watching 20 yards to my left. Past experience had taught me how easily they are alerted and how quickly they disappear. "At 60 yards out I drew my bow and waited. The one on the left flank came to the game trail as I hoped. I decided to take him if he slowed to a walk. He did and I released the arrow. He ran 25 yards and dropped. "The other 2 immediately disappeared into the swamp cover. I still had 3 arrows left and decided to continue to wait for deer as what little wind there was, was favorable that nothing would get his scent where he lay. Forty-five minutes later I could see white coming through the trees. "I was expecting a nice buck, but the white turned into the white, brown pattern of nother coyote. I realized from it's actions it was looking for the one I had recently shot, but he was upwind by only 15 yards of his family member. I drew the bow again and waited and now what turned out to be the largest of the three walked to my arrow that was stuck in the ground from the previous shot and started to sniff the fletching. "I released another arrow and he ran into the swamp out of sight. I decided that any deer in his right mind would probably not be making a visit into this area this morning so I got down, collected the first one I shot, then followed the trail to the second about 30 yards in the opposite direction. "I assume from the size difference It might have been Dad coming back looking for his son." View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

It was no more than 30 feet from the car and intent on munching the nice green grass seemingly without a care in the world. Submitted photo Paul Pflanz, of Syracuse, continues to roam Central New York in search of neat wildlife photos. Here's a couple of a doe at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. He wrote: " With all the interest in deer now, I thought you might like these pics of a young deer at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge taken Saturday, 11/17 from the road that parallels the NYS Thruway. "It was no more than 30 feet from the car and intent on munching the nice green grass seemingly without a care in the world." Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

They got them within a short time from each other on land they hunt in south central Cayuga Cayuga county. Tom with his buck. Submitted photo The father and son team of Tom and Chris Adessa, of Auburn, both cashed in on opening day -- harvesting a pair of bucks. The deer were taken within a short time of each other on land they hunt in south central Cayuga County. Submitted photo View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

He shot it in Pompey. Submitted photo Sam Diamond, 16, of Dewitt, shot this 4-point buck opening day in Pompey. View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

The finding that stone-tipped spears were used for hunting 500,000 years ago suggests that the behavioral complexity of human ancestors was greater than researchers have understood. View the full article