ItalianHunter5

The above is all correct. Stealth Cams are atrocious, my most expensive cam and the trigger speed on it is awful. I have it to take 9 pics each time and most of the time all 9 are of nothing. Wildview also does drain batteries, it usually lasts me 3 weeks in that cam. Granted it was in a very heavy deer area.

Lots of bear and big ones. Thanks UpstateNomad, hopefully it'll lead to success

Wow, that's a decent sized bear. We also got a picture of a bear when I set up a camera when we were there one weekend, it was the first trail camera picture I ever got up there! If I can find the picture i'll definitely post it but I believe it was on the sd card I accidentally deleted the pictures off of...stupid me. But it does seem like we will be going up there more often, usually the first time being in May after the winter, so that's when i'll begin to scout. Clover is seeming like a really big thing though, hopefully it'll work for me as well

I'd like to try to make the deer take a turn to come towards us and hang around a while. Maybe clover would be able to do that, A few years ago, I think 3 to be exact we heard of a 10 pointer in the area that a guy down the road killed on his property and then we haven't really heard of much since.

UpstateNomad, the snow is unbelievable up there! They get so much. I complain about a few inches over here downstate, meanwhile they don't measure in inches up there. They measure in feet!

Thanks for the input guys, I have heard a lot of good things about clover so I think I would definitely do that. Believe it or not, the closest agriculture is about a mile and a half away where they usually plant corn. Down the road there is a lot of state land where there is really no hunting pressure but our neighbors that border the back of the property hunt and told us where to find some deer. They previously hunted the property when their friend owned it. Although I never hear of many deer coming out of those areas, it doesn't hurt to get out a few weekends before I hunt down here. You can't get anything if you stay inside!

Bubba, it literally has a little bit of everything. There is a decent sized field and right in the middle of it there's a pond, to the right of the field is a really nice section of hardwoods and straight behind the field is a large swamp that I've seen a lot of rubs in. Lots of pines mixed in as well. It's on the Tug Hill Plateau in Lewis County, total I believe the property adds up to be 36 acres.

My father and I were talking and it sounds like we are going to be hunting property in the NZ next year. It's actually our property and we hunted it a couple years back with no luck because we never saw a buck (buck only up there) and since we will be hunting it a few weekends next year I was interested in creating a food plot. Does anyone have any tips on what to plant and what process i'm going through with this as a first timer? I also have a Stealth Cam (worst cam I've ever had btw) that has an extremely slow trigger speed so I would set it up on this plot if we made one. We have an existing field so that makes the process a bit easier too.

My by far best spot was actually my father's old treestand. He built a wooden treestand along the side of a hill that looks down onto a big level wooded area, that was in 1980. Right when I started hunting he told me that this was the spot I would be going to from now on. I have to thank him a lot because at this location is where I shot 3 of my 4 deer. For 33 years this spot has been consistently one of the best in the area and I'm grateful that my father passed it along to me.

Yeah, you never know it might turn out better up there rather than down here. I figured I'd really up my deer count by having the advantage of going out during the week, but it didn't work out. Maybe I shouldn't speak too soon, I got a couple more days.

Biz, at least you guys saw deer in Putnam. My father and I are going out 2 more days in Putnam with the muzzleloader but so far we went out 9 days, we haven't seen a single deer. Upstate was a lot better than down here this year.

Growalot, talked to owner after evidence was found. She said she's coming to the area soon (she lives a bit downstate) to re-post the property. I also told her about the tree stands set up, she said if they are still on the property she will have them taken down. Weirdly, I've hunted the property 8 days this year, haven't seen a single deer. Rather odd for my area but everyone i'm talking to is saying the same thing for some reason.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

Ah yes ok that's why. I guess there is more movement and sign on other side.

3N

Considering I won't be hunting there I'll say where I used to stay every time I went and you might actually know the spot. When you park at Lockwood Ln and walk straight down, right before the swamp there is a big hill on the right side that levels off. At the top of that hill is always where I saw the most sign and kicked up a few doe there.

I've hunted Lockwood before with my father the past 2 years. Haven't went there this year, have been hunting private land. I didn't really like Lockwood, Thanksgivings are very crowded, there isn't a whole lot of deer sign and not very many shots fired off.

Or invest in a muzzleloader, sight it in real quick and get another week!

I believe so too, seemed like an extreme stretch to me, until there is legitimate proof I refuse to believe it. I've been hunting Putnam during the week. I've been out 5 or 6 times and have not seen a single deer. I don't know what is going on down this way but I have a friend hunting Westchester every day and he sees deer almost every day, I guess it's just a Putnam thing. I've been seeing deer upstate all the time, except today.

Oh you had me believing you for a little bit there lol. I actually just read that story, it was struck and killed on the Merritt in CT and supposedly had passed through NY. I need to see it to believe it I think.

For the record, i'm not being wise with this cause i'm actually very interested. Have you ever laid your eyes on one jjb?

So we have had a good season thus far. I shot a spike, my uncle a 6 and my grandfather a spike all in Columbia County all opening weekend. Yesterday I was able to fill a doe tag with a hefty one in Sullivan County. Now, the populations have been high and relatively the same at both properties the past few years but I have hunted Putnam and I will be again this week and haven't seen a thing. We brought my doe to my uncle's friend who we found out butchers deer and seems like he does a good job. He hunts no where else but Putnam and he said it has been the worst season he's ever experienced. He started telling stories and explained it by using mountain lions as the excuse, he said that the mountain lions are overrunning this area and killing the deer population. Could it be possible that there is an abundance of cougars now, I mean I know there is a sighting every once in a while but a new population? I don't know if I believe it.

Actually yesterday I saw one nose down on a trot running the edge of a field about 90 yards ahead of me at 6 45 am, nice color on the thing too. If I had a shot on it, I would have taken it right away. I hate coyotes, they have destroyed the small game in my area. Shot one last year as well. Our group has shot 4 in the past 3 years, all during deer season and all in the morning.

I agree, RTGobbler had a very good post. Makes a whole lot of sense. I deer hunted Tug Hill up by the Adirondacks a few times, every time I went out it was either absolutely nothing or the same doe and fawn. That's 6N, and it is very much so like 3A. He made some valid points in his post, some stuff the DEC should listen to...

I know that, but they are considering limiting bucks to 1 and throwing in another doe tag. Right now with 1 person we are able to take 4 if you bow/muzzleloader hunt and get both dmp's you apply for. When you think about it and consider the long run, if they keep that regulation, you won't see as many deer in your area.