[Video- My Wife’s First Buck (141 green score)]

Congrats! I hunt across the ridge in Greene County, always nice to see people get the big ones on the mountains ! 

[A Hunt to Remember- (actual shot footage)]

Great video of your Buck and your fathers as well. I hunt over in 4R so I know exactly the challenges of hunting in the mountains. A buck is a trophy in the big woods where they are few and far between! 

[Happy birthday G-Man !]

Happy Birthday G-Man! We have the same birthday and first name too !  LOL

[Early season opener]

I have  a few on my cams all summer long but, I prefer to go  later during the season when its colder and their winter coat comes in before they den up. 

[First pull of the year]

I guess I'll take one for the team and post up where the crappiest camera is...

[Few hitlisters]

Sounds like the LIE in the background. Just hope they don't get hit with a car before a broadhead! 

[One year later.]

Looks great! Just gotta move the cam a tad closer so we can see those racks! 

[Brand new, never gone hunting need tips/help]

1. As a NYC resident who grew up hunting, drop me a line and I'd be more than happy to discuss at length your questions.

Now for a quick guide to some of your questions:

Locations- anything above Westchester Co (Bow only)  is good for a beginner with a rifle or shotgun. Get a DEP permit to hunt watershed areas. Between that and state land, you'll have 1000s of acres to hunt.

Field dressing/Skinning/Quartering/Taxidermy- Youtube to field dress and skin out. Its NY not the midwest so man up and drag that trophy out! If you have to quarter out a deer then you're physically  just old, weak or lazy. Being that you're on public land no ATVs to assist so don't try and get cute with that move either! As far as taxidermy then its all relative to the type of mount you want. I know a few real good ones that I use. The same applies to butchers. Neither are near the city but, are in between the hunting areas and here. Its worth the trip back up after the season, trust me.

And just a few very simple and basic words of advice:

Patience-don't get discouraged. You have to let nature come to you sometimes, not always that person out there seeking. As a beginner its best to sit back and learn through observation. It takes years and experience to master the walk and stalk.  

Keep your hunting gear and clothes completely separate from your other stuff. Leave in a garbage bag if you have to and use odorless detergent. Scientifically will only give you a 10-15% advantage but, maybe that's all you need to score. 

And the 3 most important words of advice......give thanks for the opportunity to go hunting and harvest wild game. Appreciate that organic, free range, no GMO meal better than anything else you ever ate. Respect the environment and leave it better than when you walk in. Just being out in the woods, smelling the fresh air and away from this rat race is all you need.

Hunting is multi generational sport that builds some of the best bonds between, family and friends. It also becomes super addicting if you don't score in your first year. Buck fever is real! 

 

 

 

[My best camera seems to be my driveway surveillance camera]

I've shot a few in my day in the Catskills. They're animals built to survive outside. You can literally drag them through anything with anything and the hide will be fine. Just don't test that theory down I-87 though ! 

[Wolf introduction out west has been a financial disaster for hunting, ranchers and the economy.]

Border Collies? Sorry but, not the right breed for the job.  Anatolian Shepards are wolf killers and have been protecting herds for 1000's of years......Border collies are the size of coyotes...LOL

[Broken Antlers]

Lets see a pic!

 

[Knockoff Rage and Swackers]

Do you have a link for these? 

[Venison in NY restaurant]

The best venison comes from the deer you harvested. 

[Best Places to Hunt in the Southern Zone]

I would  recommend Delaware County. Its 3 to 3 1/2 hrs from Brooklyn. Decent bucks and a wide variety of wild game. You can still get a decent plot of land at a reasonable price. I'd hurry up though, over the last 5 years the NYC DEP has bought up a lot of the old farms. Which is great if you want to hunt more land. However say good bye to your own food plots and hello to pressured hunting.  

[Tree stand snacks]

I just cut out the back strap of the first one that walks by, grill it for lunch and set the carcass up for coyote bait.....on good days

 

Apples, sandwich, all of my nieces candy left over from halloween, home made venison jerky, water and a 5 hr energy drink. Love the coffee but, boy does it make me have to take a dump, and piss every 2 hours. 

[If you have a Doe Tag, are you going to use it opening day or wait?]

I only shoot does on the last possible day that I can hunt. I would absolutely hate to harvest a doe in heat (best bait ever! ) during the rut.  I see them all the time by the time Muzzy comes along. Its always that damn heavy rack, thick necked, wall hanger that always has stage freight after his 30+ days of rutting.

[Sounds of Opening Morning]

I hunt in the northern tier of the Catskills and there's no one who walks 2 1/2 each way to there respective stands. Either you leave at 2:30 am to get there or you're truck ran out of gas and you are huffing it along the county road. 

 

Anyways to get back on topic, I expect to be in stand 1 hour before sunrise. 

[catskills]

4R for me. Tons of doe activity and a few small bucks opening weekend. Its slowed down for 2 weeks after that but, now its picking  up and should be a great weekend with the cold front coming in.  If you aren't afraid to hike a little and don't mind dragging your buck, there's plenty up on the tops of the peaks. Plenty of bucks in the area, you just have to work a little harder here without the AG crops around. 

[My Big Buck of 2012]

Congrats! I hunt in Greene but, my mother lives in Dutchess. Looks like a promising spot to check out sometime

[Solid 9 pointer]

Congrats !!!

[Loose Ibex roaming in Upstate]

Where upstate did they loose them?

[Anyone hunt near HUNTER MOUNTAIN RESORT??]

Its 3A to the east towards the Hudson Valley and 4 R to west. Plenty of Bear and bucks too. Pay attention to the thermals (temps) when hunting in the early fall (bow).

[2012 Bow Hunting Harvest Thread]

Congrats RITBlake ! I'll be north of you in Greene County come this afternoon for my first hunt of the season. What head cam did you use for that video?

[9 pointer?]

Congrats man! I hunt the nothern Catskills in 4R so I know all about the DYI mountain top hunt. Going up this weekend bear hunting but, I woudn't mind taking a nice rack like that. Its a trophy worthy buck from that area.

[2 days left!]

off tomorrow and heading up first thing after running some errands. I live the city now so I plan on being in my stand by noon to catch the evening rut hunt with a bow. Hope to see something bigger then spikes and 4s which I've seen so far from the bow stand. Then again if they trot by, I might have to fill that tag so I can look so something bigger come Saturday