Lexingtonlegend

I hunt in the lexington/prattsville area. There isn't farming around like back in the days but, you can still harvest a quality buck. Shoot any coyote you see. You can hear them every night by me yet, when ever I have that gun in my hand I never see one. I believe that antler restiction will go into effect next year. For now, be happy with that spike or 4 pointer. The big 8s and 10s are not as frequent as western New York. You're in the Catskills these deer are mountain tough !

You're in the right spot between bedding and feeding areas. Make a scent drag to your stand along with a mock scrap. Its that time of year right now when the rut kicks in so any buck within a few miles of your place will be over to investigate or take claim to any does on that plot. I can't understate how imortant scent control is before rifle season. 30% comes from your mouth alone so cover up !!!

oh yeah! Working a half day and then heading up to the catskills. I can't wait for this back strap assassin to slice my 2 blade rage into the vitals of a wall hanger and grill up some venison steaks on the first day of the season !

Well I'm not one for drinking while hunting for the obvious reasons. 1. it alters your motor skills (hand to eye ) for accurately shooting. 2. You might get too cozy and fall asleep. 3. The scent of alcohol alone with deter any trophy worthy buck of coming near your stand. Now after the hunt when you have the B&C buck hung up to skin, butch and of course show off well... That's another story

A good food plot or enough natural resources like oaks and apple trees should keep them on your property.

All summer I scouted a decent 9pt on my hunting property along with a wide 6. All bow season all I was in range of shooting were spikes. The first day of rifle I counted 15 does ! Sure enough when I got home my ole' man is there sipping a beer and admiring the 9 pt hanging down that he shot ! Going up for the holidays so I'm going to check out some other properties and even some DEP land nearb...

Where are you in New York? I'm in the nothern catskills and I've seen once my whole life. Shocked to even see one in my area at that.

4R

I too have about a 3 hr drive from my place to deer camp. Bags are packed and I haven't slept in 2 days. I've got a meeting in the morning but, I already feel the "buck fever" hitting me so the second I get the chance I'm heading up ! Good luck !

In my area, the doe-buck ratio isn't effective for rattling. I've used horns and a rattle bag and the only bucks I bring are curious spikes who don't know any better. Grunt calls work like a charm for me during the rut

Is that a food plot......or your backyard !

Awesome food plot ! What part of the state are you in?

There's no obvious signs like trails that they tend to favor for food sources. Early in the season like bowhunting keep your eye to the ground and look for shit....LOL Seriously its looks like human shit except for its coarse and you can see what they ate last like corn for example. They are nocturnal in the early part so the only one's I've been in contact with were at just before dawn and right at dusk. Late during gun season they're harvesting before hibernation so you might see one during the day, but once they guns start going off you won't seem them wandering for food much like big bucks. Ohh they sleep in caves and holes as you expect so hunt mountains and ridges for better chances

Those S O B's aren't little puppies ! Definitely hybrid coyotes who mated with wolves at some point. They look like their pushing the 100lb scale.